Tweet Roundup: Conquering the Mountain of Legacy Data

Webinar Today “Conquering the Mountain of Legacy Data” http://bit.ly/pEDYN1 10 AM Pacific/US with Data Conversion Labs & Don Bridges

#S3IWebinar starting w/ @dclaboratory We will be high volume for next 60 mins

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: DCL celebrating it’s 30th year of finding themselves in complex data conversion projects

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: Situations where XML is a good idea, what the options are, and how to plan for it.. and a few tips too

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: why xml? less publishing centric/complex than SGML, more robust than HTML with wider bizcom acceptance

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: XML is a good fit if you have tecnical docs, need print + electronic, fast, frequent update, versions..

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: XML also key if you have print on demand

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: XML usu shw postive ROI – open standard, lots of vendors (relatively easy to switch) interchange simple

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: want an XML ROI calculator? Reply to the tweet

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: DITA is single source authoring, like lego blocks to go build anything you want

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: What does it take to build an XML system? Need 3 things: CCMS, delivery aspect, authoring tools

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: BTW, there’s also conversion: how do you fill the tank of content?

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: What else do you need? Someone who’s been there who can guide you. A Sherpa

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: What else do you need? Training. Get past the technical aspects of XML

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: What else do you need? Some way to get your content into XML

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: two ways to get your content converted: new content in XML/old content in old sys OR convert old stuff

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: very few writers have the clairvyance to author content thinking it will EVER be converted in future

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: it’s def more fun to author anew, but not necess faster or cheaper

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: but ask yourself — do you need to convert it?

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: 3 options: convert nothing ($0, Delay ROI), convert everything ($$$ low ROI), convert some (max ROI, $)

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: convert with intelligence – convert docs that are favorites, frequently used, long product lives,

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: when in doubt, start in the present and work backwards deciding on what to convert

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: Some people believe Automation not possible; some believe it is; some believe cheap labor 1st try works

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: What about rewriting? Think about cost – minimalism, simplified Eng, topic-based – Typically $60/pg

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: Rewriting typically takes 1 hr/pg — do the math

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: rewriting may be technically the right way to go, but there might be a higher value option

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: if you’ve only got a couple hundred pages, cut and paste works, right? http://bit.ly/o1y4Ca

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: Humas are rarely 100% correct and consistent in performing tagging

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: STC presentation of CSG Systems in-house conversion 11K pgs – 6 months & 4K hrs http://bit.ly/nBORX9

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: If you just cannot release the content outside the confines of your building & have the time/$ do it

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: SAAS: really requires consistent, well-styled, maps well. You do manual clean-up before AND after

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: be sure to budget in the cost of clean-up

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: Oursourced conversion – no surprises, know $, schedule, quality up front.

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: out-sourced conversion typically turn-key operation for one-time events

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: One-Time Event: you intend to stay in XML forever. Often happens for aquired contnet

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: conversion can be topic-sourced or book-sourced

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: topic-sourced – analyze similar content and rewrite – manual process, maximized reuse

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: I discourage making paragraphs their own topics

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: book-based conversion: designate topics by type based on heading level, automated, limited reuse,

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: book-basd conversion when topics dnot need reauthoring right away, can do after conversion

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: there are 3 things to do before converting content 1) harmonize content – spelling/punct differences

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: content faux pas: tables created without table editor.

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: content faux pas: references to pages or locations

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: graphic overlays on tables

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: content faux pas: graphic overlays on tables — think about your other formats

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:content faux pas: extra spaces for composition — only applies to Print Presentation

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:XML separates Content and Format. Need to think about that when prepping for conversion

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Style over-rides — manual applications that can’t be tracked easily

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Content Model Violations easy when you’re in a non-structured environment; hard to get right

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:know your new content model and refit your content before conversion

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Look for those procedures authored as tabled #DITA content model violation

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:notes authored as tables another #dita content model violation

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Other dita content model violations: http://bit.ly/mSADx0
Making Friends with Your DITA-Unfriendly Documents DITA is a hot topic in the ‘Tech Docs’ arena, and for good reason. DITA is an open standard that addresses many of the needs of technical documentation producers – most notably content reuse needs.

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Things to remember? Be able to Justify ROI to management for XML system

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Make sure your process is scalable – do a pilot or two or three

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:know your new content model and refit your content before conversion

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Hire a Sherpa to talk to other people in the industry and to learn from their experience

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:notes authored as tables another #dita content model violation

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:You don’t know what you don’t know — the unknown unknowns — learn from others, hire someone

RT @SingleSourcing: #S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: Make sure your process is scalable – do a pilot or two or three

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Be prepared! Train content experts. Working with XML is DIFFERENT. Working with DITA is MORE DIFFERENT

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:invest in tools that are XML-enabled and designed to enhance, not restrict, the process

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:let the tool do the work so you don’t have to

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:use robust, comprehensive DTDS and purge the instinct to say “how does it look, how does it look”

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Go to “what does it say” rather than “how does it look”

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:do your homework, ROI is hard to identify initially..

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:DCL celebrating it’s 30th year of finding themselves in complex data conversion projects

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:know what you know, and get help for what you don’t

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:train one person to super-user status and have them train the rest

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:It can be as easy as, all updates go in at 2 AM and the website is updated at 2:01. It can happen

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Resources: http://bit.ly/nDjN68 and http://bit.ly/oufovS

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:DCL’s #1 article: how to convert from Quark

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:Questions ? Lots of good ones…

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges:if you’ve only got a couple hundred pages, cut and paste works, right? http://bit.ly/o1y4Ca

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory D.Bridges: Thanks everyone for attending.

#S3IWebinar @dclaboratory L.Fraley: Next session: what single source information sharing really means & how to set about accomplishing it

Single-Sourcing @dclaboratory Thanks for having the webinar.

Single-Sourcing I’m a neophyte trying 2 understand SS, CM, DITA & XML & how they all work 2gether. Your webinar increased my understanding.