PDF Distribution: Packaging with Product versus Internet Access

[Neeraj Jain]

Pat,

This seems to be a very good move by your client. I definitely feel that the 
audience would prefer to read online documents rather than flipping pages of the 
printed manual.

If the buyer requests it, it will be provided. Cool!

 
_____________________________________________________________
Had there been a formula for success, it would have been stolen long back

Regards, 
NJ
http://www.neerajjain8.com
 


 




________________________________
From: Writer <generic668 at yahoo.ca>
To: Frame Users <framers at lists.frameusers.com>; Pat Christenson 
<pxenson at comcast.net>
Sent: Tue, 14 September, 2010 2:31:50 AM
Subject: Re: PDF Distribution: Packaging with Product versus Internet Access

We bundle a PDF version with our online help. We don't offer printed guides.

In addition, we use DITA and WebWorks ePublisher. WebWorks offers a product 
called AutoMap that lets you publish your documents to a server at a specified 
time. If you get the go ahead to go electronic, you could schedule daily or 
weekly publication of your help as part of the Agile (*shudder*) process. 
WebWorks has a whitepaper about publishing in an Agile environment here: 
http://www.slideshare.net/webworks/publishing-in-an-agile-world-2807099

Nadine

--- On Mon, 9/13/10, Pat Christenson <pxenson at comcast.net> wrote:

> From: Pat Christenson <pxenson at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: PDF Distribution: Packaging with Product versus Internet Access
> To: "Frame Users" <framers at lists.frameusers.com>
> Date: Monday, September 13, 2010, 4:42 PM
> Hi -
> 
> One of my clients is moving to a model where they will
> provide a printed manual if the buyer requests it. The
> manual will be free to the buyer. Otherwise, everything will
> be distributed online. I don't know that they want to go
> public with this so can't provide the company name.
> 
> Pat
> 
> 
> On Sep 13, 2010, at 11:04 AM, Alison Craig wrote:
> 
> > Joseph:
> > 
> > We don't "only" distribute by Internet, *but* we do
> distribute most manuals that way simply because timing is
> always an issue.
> > 
> > A software image may be created for manufacturing
> before my English manuals are ready, although the English
> manuals are also loaded manually at the last second as part
> of the mfg process (due to regulatory issues). I've given up
> trying to worry about timing now that we just distribute
> digital copies (hard copy only on request).
> > 
> > The translated versions are always added on an "as
> available" basis, which, of course, is never at release and
> almost always via the Internet (occasionally we mail a DVD
> if the client is in the middle of nowhere in Africa or
> Siberia and doesn't have access to a decent - or any -
> Internet connection).
> > 
> > My caveat is that my company may not be a good example
> for you as we are a smaller player in the medical device
> industry, in no way comparable to Microsoft or Adobe (or
> even the medical device arms of GE and Siemens).
> > 
> > Alison Craig, Technical Writer
> > Ultrasonix Medical Corporation
> > Tel: (604) 279-8550, ext 127
> > E-mail: alison.craig at ultrasonix.com
> > 
> > PS: I love your comment re: "the engineering team's
> agile development life
> > cycle". Although "agile and *fluid*" might be a better
> description of my R&D team!
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com
> [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com]
> On Behalf Of Joseph Lorenzini
> > Sent: Saturday, September 04, 2010 11:01 AM
> > To: FrameMaker Forum
> > Subject: Fwd: PDF Distribution: Packaging with Product
> versus Internet Access
> > 
> > Hi all,
> > 
> > I publish hundreds of pages of documentation using
> FrameMaker. I also use
> > Robohelp to generate help systems.
> > 
> > Does anyone know of IT companies that ONLY distribute
> documents about their
> > products via the internet and are NO longer
> distributing documentation by
> > installing it with the product? Off the top of my
> head, I believe Microsoft
> > and Adobe do this with some of their products.
> > 
> > For a variety of reasons, I am considering moving away
> from bundling
> > documents with the software's installation package and
> instead only
> > distributing the docs via a internet portal. If I did
> this, I would no
> > longer be at the mercy of the engineering team's agile
> development life
> > cycle.  This means I would 1) have significantly
> more time to document
> > features 2) the code is frozen so features will always
> be completed by the
> > time I start documenting them and out of date
> screenshots would be a thing
> > of the past and 3) SMEs would have more time to review
> my documents.
> > 
> > However, to make this sell to project management, I
> need some evidence that
> > other IT companies are ONLY distributing documents via
> the internet and are
> > NO longer distributing documentation by installing it
> with the product.
> > 
> > Sincerely,
> > Joseph Lorenzini
> > _______________________________________________
> > 
> > 
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>
> > 
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> > 
> > 
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> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
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> tm

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