OT: Need Your Opinion

[Jerilynne Knight]

Hi Framer's

I'm curious as to whether you feel the following skillset has applicability
in the current market. I was out of the market for a bit (long story,
boooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrring!) and am researching the possibilities and would
appreciate your input.

My expertise is in using standard FrameMaker to create single source
approaches for companies who aren't ready, or don't want, to go the
XMl/database/high end route. I create sophisticated templates (currently in
Frame 7.x) using all different feature combinations (books, conditional
text, variables, text insets, unique paragraph tags, preset structured
shells and the like).

When I was doing this full time, I would provide the content analysis,
develop the Frame template to meet the agreed upon specifications, create at
least 1 sample document set, do the testing and finish up by training the
folks responsible for creating documentation on a day-to-day basis.  I have
had XML developers take a look at the approach I use to see if it would be
easy or difficult to convert to a more advanced database approach if needed.
The developer indicated the approach would be easy to convert since the tag
naming schemas, structure, etc. were so rigidly enforced.

I recently completed a project for a company with over 1,000 pages of
documentation...it started as a template development project and ended up
being a single source project. The client was positively thrilled when she
was able to provide an unscheduled document component within 30 minutes of
the request (a task that would have taken weeks using her previous
approach).

There are, naturally, drawbacks and compromises to approaching a single
source project using standard FrameMaker...and I wondered if you are
familiar with places that could use this approach or if I either "belly up
to the bar" and learn the next level or look at what I want to do in a
different way.

Thank you in advance for any ideas, suggestions or input you may have.

And please let me know how I may be of service to you...

Blessings
Jerilynne Knight