Having been a "manual laborer" for about 15 years, I've come to appreciate FM. Word gets better with each new release, but still loses its mind when the auto-numbering schemes get complex (auto-numbered chapters and headings, steps, figures, tables, etc.). word is also limited in the graphics-file-format-import realm. Other Word-related anomalies push me to the brink of madness. I presently use FM and Word, the latter for docs the engineers may need to tweak occasionally, and the former for the big user and service manuals that I "own" and manage exclusively.
Due to past struggles with various DTP and related software as such programs apply to TW, I have made decisions, in interviews, base upon the tools available within a company, and a department's apparent willingness (or lack thereof) to consider modernizing their tools (e.g., from Word, PageMaker, Quark, et al., to FM or, back in the day, Interleaf). When I worked in a strong, small TW-contract co. about 10 years ago, we added about 15 percent onto bids that required us to use Word (versus FM or Interleaf). I would advise a TW starter to consider and inquire of the tools available, and inquire as to whether better-suited tools are in the near-future budget. The answer may reveal the dogmatic or tenacious nature of a manager, department, and company. -----Original Message----- From: framers-bounces+mforseth=imago....@lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces+mforseth=imago.com at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Andy Kelsall Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 10:40 AM To: Framers at frameusers.com Subject: Career advice--which application to focus on: FM or Word? Hello everyone, I would like some advice from anyone who has worked in the technical writing field for more than 3 years. My question is this: If you knew someone who was looking to enter the technical writing field at this time, would you advise them to seek out positions where they would be using FrameMaker, or would you tell them not to worry so much on which application would be used, but instead focus on the position and the work itself? The reason I ask is that on various listservs I subscribe to, it seems that most people are big FM advocates and are not too fond of Word. I've spent the last month trying to learn the basics of FM, and I can see why people choose FM over Word when it comes to serious technical writing. Granted, there is a steep learning curve, but it *is* a lot more versatile than Word. I'm moving away from a 17 year career as a technician and engineer in the telecom field and I want to make sure my first step into technical writing isn't a misstep. As a quick note, I have given the career change quite a bit of thought, and went as far as completing a technical writing program at Duke. Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks, Andy _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to Framers as mforseth at imago.com. Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. To unsubscribe send a blank email to framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com or visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/mforseth%40imago.com Send administrative questions to lisa at frameusers.com. Visit http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. NOTICE: These communications may contain privileged or other confidential information for the sole use of the designated recipients. If you have received it in error, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without reviewing, copying or disclosing the contents.
