Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!apple!claris!ames!oliveb!felix!kehr
From: kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Inside Mac
Message-ID: <67789@felix.UUCP>
Date: 4 Nov 88 15:27:18 GMT
References: <19358@apple.Apple.COM> <10330069@eecs.nwu.edu> <10785@cup.portal.com>
Sender: news@felix.UUCP
Reply-To: kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr)
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
Lines: 52

In article <10785@cup.portal.com> Mike_G_Newman@cup.portal.com writes:
>Pages are numbered with a decimal system that includes the
>section and subsection in the whole number part and the 'page' number
>in the decimal part.  Letters are added if an extra page gets inserted.
>It is always easy to tell if a section is 'whole'.
 
Unless you also supply a list of effective pages, no one can tell whether
they have the pages inserted between "page numbers" (the a, b, etc. pages).

>On the negative side, keeping the thing up-to-date is a pain.

That's an understatement!

>However, if discipline declines,
>the system fails.
 
I'm not sure whose discipline you're referring to, but it's a well-known
fact that the recipients of the change pages do not religiously update
their manuals. Then they leave the company and the next person gets stuck
with a mess.

We had the ridiculous situation of sending three change packets in a row
for a programming manual before incorporating all those changes into a 
new manual. User's paid by the page for the updates. Since we did not
collate change pages into stock, new users got a manual with instructions
to insert and remove 20 to 40 pages. Then they went to the next update 
and removed many of the pages just inserted in order to bring the manual
up to the next level. Finally they went to the third update received with
their "new" manual. It's awful what we ask new customers to do sometimes.

At FileNet, we have decided to update only whole modules (pretty much like
chapters) at once. There are no section numbers. Each module in the 
handbook is a standalone piece--easy for us--easy for them. But, there is
still a downside, and that is the lack of an overall index. I'd like to
hear suggestions on how to refer to certain pages in certain modules in
one or more manuals.

Note that we're just starting this program and have no experience in 
managing it nor feedback from customers.

Shirley Kehr


>We also use a system in which 'program notes' are distributed which
>are not interfiled with the manual, but which explain specific and
>perhaps timely topics or which are reminder items.  These can be 
>created and distributed more quickly then manual revisions and 
>generally have a specific and limited life time.
>
>Any thoughts from other organizations?
>
>mike_g_newman@cup.portal.com