This post needs an update as both Microsoft Word and FrameMaker have both improved in the past three years. So, bear with me as I work on the update. In the meantime, take out your red pen and see if you agree. Which is better for writing long technical documents? Adobe FrameMaker or MS Word? […]
7 Skills Technical Writers Need
When you think of technical writing, what comes to mind?
Do you think of someone sitting all alone in a cubicle, glued to a computer screen, diligently documenting complex software?
Why Adobe FrameMaker Sucks – A Slight Rant
Ok, let’s start this product comparison between Microsoft Word (in the red corner) and Adobe FrameMaker (in the blue corner). Before we get into the actual review, I’d like to share how I first encountered FrameMaker and, more importantly, why its roots in an obscure DTP package are the reason why it is the strange beast we love and hate.
Is Adobe FrameMaker Worth the Money?
If you’ve been given a budget for a technical writing dept (tech comms), then you looking for value for money when it comes to buying new tech writing software. We all understand that. The problem I have at the moment is deciding how to use the budget I have. And Adobe FrameMaker is giving me a real headache. For writing long docs, it’s fine. But the cost is a real problem. Is it worth the money?
Eddie Van Arsdall’s Ten Tips for FrameMaker Docs
If you use Adobe FrameMaker and wondered ‘well how could I get these documents into another tech writing tool’, then read this week’s edition of MadNewz from Madcap Software. Eddie VanArsdall has written a great tutorial that shows how to move content between these packages.
What Macaulay Culkin Can Teach You About Technical Writing
Larry says that last week another technical writer asserted that DITA has “jumped the shark.” “It’s not a new idea. I’ve heard other people say that DITA has already seen its best days, that it’s struggling to remain relevant in a world that’s passed it by. I was amused, I admit, because it was the first time I’d seen DITA compared to a TV show.”