[Framers] I'm pretty sure the answer is structured content with DITA but I'll ask anyway (LONG)

[Robert Lauriston]

Take a look at Paligo. It gives you structured authoring (DocBook), a
CMS, and reuse in a single package without having to hire a developer
to build a custom system.

On Tue, Jul 26, 2016 at 3:20 PM, Pat Christenson
<Pat.Christenson at morningstar.com> wrote:
> I'm the only tech writer in my group. Everyone else is a trainer/presenter (although they do quite a bit of writing).
>
> Our software has numerous components, each on its own release track. At the end of each month, I post extensive release notes on EVERYTHING from the month (written in FrameMaker, distributed as PDF). This is taking a big chunk of time because the preference is for very detailed documentation. Step-by-step, lots of screen shots, and assume the user has never used any of our software before.
>
> This allows the rest of the group to leverage what I write but because it's a monthly release note, all the topics are together in one PDF. It's a pretty safe assumption that none of the users look at it after that month and even if they remember reading about how to use a new feature, they almost certainly don't remember that it was in the February 2016 release notes. Very few people would be willing to open each month's PDF and check the front page for content.
>
> And the cherry on this sundae is all our user guides and help content are very much out-of-date.
>
> I also create a very brief release announcement in HTML that generally describes the new features and directs users to the PDF.
>
>
> My manager has asked me to come up with ideas on how to get more use out of what I'm writing. Some of my ideas are:
>
>
> -          Recognize that these are release notes, not training materials. Assume the reader has a certain level of competence. No more screen shots after almost every step.
>
> -          Update the various product user guides (which would be a gargantuan task, given I'm the only writer) and perhaps pull material from the monthly release notes into each guide as an addendum and appendix.
>
> -          Break the existing release notes in separate docs/books by topic (ad hoc user guide). In the monthly release announcement, link to those.
>
> -          Make a master book of release notes with a TOC and maybe even an index (Lord, where would I find the time?). Even if it's still organized by month, the user would have a way to skim for content.
>
> In the long run, we probably need to get away from the idea of release notes in one document (or in a document at all). We should probably be chunking and tagging material, using a CMS, and single-source this into Help, release notes, etc. But we are a small group with a great deal of legacy documentation. I've been here 6 months (there was no tech writer before-each product team "wrote" its own release notes). Everyone loves that the notes are now well-written and comprehensive, and look polished, but my manager and I both feel that I'm building up more documentation that isn't flexible.
>
> I hope this group may have some ideas. I can't stress enough that right now, we need short-term solutions.
>
> All ideas and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.