Monday, November 10, 2008
Author-it Blog
A reader on my blog has pointed out that there is now an official Author-it blog.
Tom Johnson, at I'd Rather Be Writing, has an interview with Kathy Howes about it.
Commercial reality dictates that some of the amazing ideas and creativity that flows through Author-it sometimes have to be restrained, but I’d like the Author-it Blog to be a place where we can post our opinions, ask questions, solicit feedback and share our perspective with you.
Tom Johnson, at I'd Rather Be Writing, has an interview with Kathy Howes about it.
Labels: Author-it
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Blogging about Author-it
I've been evaluating Author-it 5.0 recently. I'll have more to say about it after I've had more time to do some real work with it. So far, about all I've had time to do is to work my way through the tutorial. My initial impressions are fairly positive and it's clear the program has some real strengths. However, it's a major change in approach from my current Word/FrameMaker/WebWorks workflow, and it remains to be seen if the benefits outweigh the very real costs of switching.
I've been looking for Author-it resources on the Web, and there's not a lot out there. One blog I've found useful is Just Write Click, which has an Author-it topic. The author, Ann Gentle, has been using Author-it for the last few months and has been posting about it. If you're looking at Author-it, or using it, you'll want to read her blog. (She will be at DocTrainWest, and I hope to meet her there).
Update: Coincidentally, I just came across a new post from Gordon McLean, who has been evaluating Author-it too, and is now working with it. His comments on Author-it versus DITA are interesting and somewhat similar to my feelings on the subject:
I've been looking for Author-it resources on the Web, and there's not a lot out there. One blog I've found useful is Just Write Click, which has an Author-it topic. The author, Ann Gentle, has been using Author-it for the last few months and has been posting about it. If you're looking at Author-it, or using it, you'll want to read her blog. (She will be at DocTrainWest, and I hope to meet her there).
Update: Coincidentally, I just came across a new post from Gordon McLean, who has been evaluating Author-it too, and is now working with it. His comments on Author-it versus DITA are interesting and somewhat similar to my feelings on the subject:
I also spent some time considering DITA but ultimately switching to an XML-based system is still too cost-prohibitive. AuthorIT is a compromise, allowing us to work how we want to work, whilst giving us single source benefits. We will use DITA as a framework for how we plan and write the content, but the simple fact is that AuthorIT is a much better value proposition than a bespoke system, both in monetary and resource terms. This makes the business case much easier to sell.
If you are considering single sourcing your content, then I’d strongly suggest you investigate AuthorIT as a possibility. It has limitations, including the oft-cited reliance on Word as a publishing engine, but for me the advantages outweight those.
Labels: Author-it, software, technical communication
