Even if Word would be as good at conditional text, I think you should be able to choose the tool you are comfortable with. To make you use a tool you hate is a good way to kill your motivation.
Maybe you could meet them half way and use something more common than InDesign for the datasheets. I don't think it's so hard to find someone who knows FrameMaker to replace you while you are on vacation, but to find someone who knows both FrameMaker and Indesign is a bit more difficult. Regards, Shmuel Wolfson 052-763-7133 On 10-Jul-12 10:24 PM, Keith Soltys wrote: > If you can't convince your boss that you need FrameMaker, you might want to > take a look at ThirtySix Software's SmartDocs. I've been using it for about > six months now on a set of large specifications. It offers reusable snippets, > variables, and conditional text, all inside Word. The interface for managing > all of this is actually easier and more efficient than FrameMaker's, as you > can create "snapshots" that set all of your variable values and conditional > text settings with one click. It does require Word 2007 or later and > SharePoint as a back end. > > I would still prefer to use FrameMaker, just because it is more robust than > Word and faster on large documents, but SmartDocs itself is pretty solid and > hasn't given me any major problems. It's more stable than I expected given > the house of cards foundation it sits on. As always with Word, you'll want to > keep your documents cleanly formatted with styles and have a solid template > to start with. > > Regards > Keith > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers- >> bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of John Sgammato >> Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 2:04 PM >> To: 'laura at lavadome.net'; framers at lists.frameusers.com >> Subject: RE: Support needed! >> >> It seems to me the safest approach is to escalate it to your manager, >> explaining why your current tools are the right tools for the job. Explain >> how >> sophisticated your docs are and why Word won't be up to the task. The >> challenge would be to make the docs less sophisticated and harder to >> manage as a trade-off for the suggested flexibility. >> Then you could opine that the problem was not a lack of flexibility, but >> rather >> a lack of training if the person truly needed to edit the doc at that moment, >> or else possibly the original complainer simply overreacted to a perceived >> blocker while you were out of the office. >> Never complain to the boss - but raise the issue with clarifying information >> and provide an "out" if possible. In this case, the clarifying info supports >> the >> manager, and the out is that the original complainer is solving the wrong >> problem. Redefining the problem on more favorable terms is a useful >> strategy. >> Good luck! >> john >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers- >> bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of laura at lavadome.net >> Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 3:58 AM >> To: framers at lists.frameusers.com >> Subject: Support needed! >> >> Dear all >> >> Please tell me I'm not going mad or being unreasonable. >> >> Have just come into work to find that the company which acquired us a few >> months ago wants me to use Powerpoint for creating datasheets instead of >> InDesign (definite) and "a more flexible tool" (Word) instead of our beloved >> Framemaker (proposed). >> >> I could cry. I am the only tech author in the company of about 100 people >> and the marketing department used PP for datasheets which they say is >> "adequate" for the job. This all arose on Friday when someone else needed >> to edit a version of my ID files when I was on holiday. Now I come in to >> find: >> >> "...For more technical documentation (e.g. product manuals) then I >> understand the argument for use of a more specialist tool - but even here >> we can use more flexible tools." >> >> Such as????? I have long user guides with masses of conditional text. >> Just let Word have a shot at that. In fact, they were trying to do just >> that >> before I started this job 4 years ago - and it wasn't working. >> >> Sorry to clog up the forum with this but I think of you all as friends >> who feel >> the same way about FM as I do. >> >> How do I persuade them otherwise? In fact, it's just one person really I >> think >> I need to convince - not in my office. >> >> I can just about cope with datasheets in PP but using anything other than >> Frame for long user guides is unthinkable. >> > NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY This e-mail, including all materials contained in > or attached to this e-mail, contains proprietary and confidential information > solely for the internal use of the intended recipient. If you have received > this email in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail or > otherwise and ensure that it is permanently deleted from your systems, and do > not print, copy, distribute or read its contents. > > AVIS DE CONFIDENTIALIT? Le pr?sent courriel, y compris tous les documents > qu'il contient ou qui y sont joints, renferme des renseignements exclusifs et > confidentiels destin?s uniquement ? l'usage interne du destinataire pr?vu. 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