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 <pxen...@comcast.net> wrote: > From: Pat Christenson <pxen...@comcast.net> > Subject: Re: PDF Distribution: Packaging with Product versus Internet Access > To: "Frame Users" <framers@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.cr...@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-boun...@lists.frameusers.com > [mailto:framers-boun...@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 > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > You are currently subscribed to framers as alison.cr...@ultrasonix.com. > > > > Send list messages to fram...@lists.frameusers.com. > > > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > > framers-unsubscr...@lists.frameusers.com > > or visit > > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/alison.craig%40ultrasonix.com > > > > Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com. > Visit > > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and > info. > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > You are currently subscribed to framers as pxen...@comcast.net. > > > > Send list messages to fram...@lists.frameusers.com. > > > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > > framers-unsubscr...@lists.frameusers.com > > or visit > > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/pxenson%40comcast.net > > > > Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com. > Visit > > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and > info. > > _______________________________________________ > > > You are currently subscribed to framers as generic...@yahoo.ca. > > Send list messages to fram...@lists.frameusers.com. > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > framers-unsubscr...@lists.frameusers.com > or visit > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/generic668%40yahoo.ca > > Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com. > Visit > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and > info. > tm _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to framers as arch...@mail-archive.com. Send list messages to fram...@lists.frameusers.com. To unsubscribe send a blank email to framers-unsubscr...@lists.frameusers.com or visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/archive%40mail-archive.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com. Visit http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.