Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
I am a fan of an approach that separates content development from web design. A writer/editor develops content and a web designer designs the web pages, css, etc. In my opinion, these are two vastly different skill sets. Sure, some can do both, but designing responsive sites that will work with desktops, tablets, and phones takes a deeper level of skill than just learning a tool like Flare or FrameMaker. Rick Quatro Carmen Publishing Inc. r...@frameexpert.com 585-729-6746 www.frameexpert.com/store/ -Original Message- From: Framers On Behalf Of Carol J. Elkins Sent: Friday, February 28, 2020 1:14 PM To: An email list for people using Adobe FrameMaker software. Subject: Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare Sadly, IMHO, not enough attention is given to the quality of content on most Web sites today. That is the part of Web design that you will excel at, Ken, because you are a tech writer. I firmly believe that good Web design must start with usability and audience consideration to develop the content. Once you figure out all of that for the Web site, then you can focus on coding it in Flare. Work one piece of the challenge at a time. Carol At 10:20 AM 2/28/2020, Ken Poshedly wrote: >While I've done online content here and there, I've not done really >full-blown, overall web site design or redesigns. The staff person >(a vice president) said that the current page was done using MadCap Flare. ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
KenPo has nothing to be concerned about; he'll do just fine with Flare. There are tons of samples on the MadCap site to play with. I taught Flare for years, after teaching Robo back when it was good, and fast. One thing that most students stumbled over was the interface. You just need to remember that it organizes project setting and build controls on a separate tab from content files. Think data/processing. The styles editor masks the CSS file with an easier to use interface, but you will want to learn CSS. Best book for beginners that I've found is CSS: The Missing Manual. Jack DeLand . Principal Adam Charles Consulting, LLC +1 734 972 3026 http://www.adamcharlesconsulting.com/ http://www.jackdeland.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackdeland/ ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
Absolutely From: "Carol J. Elkins" To: "An email list for people using Adobe FrameMaker, software." Sent: Friday, 28 February, 2020 10:14:10 Subject: Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare Sadly, IMHO, not enough attention is given to the quality of content on most Web sites today. That is the part of Web design that you will excel at, Ken, because you are a tech writer. I firmly believe that good Web design must start with usability and audience consideration to develop the content. Once you figure out all of that for the Web site, then you can focus on coding it in Flare. Work one piece of the challenge at a time. Carol At 10:20 AM 2/28/2020, Ken Poshedly wrote: >While I've done online content here and there, I've not done really >full-blown, overall web site design or redesigns. The staff person >(a vice president) said that the current page was done using MadCap Flare. ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
[Framers] OT: Belarc Advisor
At 11:19 AM 2/28/2020, Ken Poshedly wrote: I also urge everybody to download and use Belarc Advisor to record and store a data file of literally every piece of hardware and software on your platform. Ditto what Ken said about Belarc Advisor. It identifies everything there is to know about your computer, devices, and network. It parses all of the software loaded on your computer and records the license number. It is a free download. Carol ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
[Framers] Kudos to Adobe
Gang, Because at least one Adobe staffer that I know of frequents this list, I'd like to offer my own shout-out to Adobe for helping me with a nasty problem a few weeks ago. It was only after trying to access the Windows 10 program called "Moviemaker" on my home-based terminal, not finding it and then not being able to get it to download from the Microsoft Store website that I discovered that my Windows 10 installation was corrupted (probably from a small power glitch that was too weak to blink the lights). While my third-party apps worked just fine, getting Moviemaker was a problem and even getting a similar, supposedly built-in app called "Photos" to open was also a problem. That meant literally several weeks of online, screen-sharing episodes with Microsoft technicians who were very patient and showed me what was corrupted and not repairable. We tried many times to reinstall Windows 10 as an overlay, so as not to disrupt my programs and folders and files, but to no avail. This meant a "custom re-installation" of Windows 10 that would, you guessed it, essentially reformat my C-drive and leave me to reinstall my thtird-party apps. As I stated in my previous email about MadCap Flare, my previous employer refused to allow us to upgrade our software or learn new tools. That's why my tech pubs group remained with six-year-old versions of FrameMaker, Acrobat, and so forth. (Although one former manager purchased software, then decided not to use and gave it to us.) So when it came time for me to legally reinstall my oldie-but-goodie version of FrameMaker on my home-based platform, but couldn't locate my original installation CD, I contacted Adobe, fearing the worst from seeing long-ago horror stories posted by other tech writers. The Adobe tech support person really came through for me (after verifying my product key/serial number) to download my version of FM onto my terminal, install it and then test it to make sure it opened and functioned properly. Thank you Adobe! I also urge everybody to download and use Belarc Advisor to record and store a data file of literally every piece of hardware and software on your platform. Thanks again, -- Kenpo in Atlanta ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
Sadly, IMHO, not enough attention is given to the quality of content on most Web sites today. That is the part of Web design that you will excel at, Ken, because you are a tech writer. I firmly believe that good Web design must start with usability and audience consideration to develop the content. Once you figure out all of that for the Web site, then you can focus on coding it in Flare. Work one piece of the challenge at a time. Carol At 10:20 AM 2/28/2020, Ken Poshedly wrote: While I've done online content here and there, I've not done really full-blown, overall web site design or redesigns. The staff person (a vice president) said that the current page was done using MadCap Flare. ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
Lots of people think Flare has a steep learning curve. When I first used it, I was an expert RoboHelp user, and had used quite a few other topic-per-file tools such as XMetal and DreamWeaver, so the learning curve should have been close to flat, but there were a lot of things I knew it could do that I couldn't find in the UI or docs. On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 9:35 AM Jeff Coatsworth wrote: > > Frankly, I'd disagree - if you can use Word & FM, you can use RH or Flare - > you may not get all the subtleties in it, but topics are topics and styles > are the same as paragraph tags and cross refs are just hyperlinks to > bookmarks. The barrier to entry is pretty low. I'd say you should go ahead > and download a trial & play with it. > > > > From: Framers > on > behalf of Robert Lauriston > Sent: February 28, 2020 12:29 PM > To: An email list for people using Adobe FrameMaker software. > Subject: Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare > > FrameMaker is not similar to any other tech docs authoring tool. It's > fundamentally a page layout program. > > Flare is fundamentally an HTML authoring tool. It's very similar to > RoboHelp and many other help authoring tools. If you've never used a > similar HTML authoring tool, the learning curve could be pretty steep. ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
If it's web site content rather than online help, you might want to migrate it away from Flare anyway. The first web browser was release in March 1993, so On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 9:57 AM Peter Gold wrote: > > I started training people to use personal computers and productivity > software in the '80s. IIRC, web pages were almost non-existent back then.;) > > Seriously, consider looking at the company's site, maybe even be proactive > and ask to discuss them with someone who can indicate what they are > thinking about, going forward. Then look into Flare, tutorials, and a > trial. ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
I started training people to use personal computers and productivity software in the '80s. IIRC, web pages were almost non-existent back then.;) Seriously, consider looking at the company's site, maybe even be proactive and ask to discuss them with someone who can indicate what they are thinking about, going forward. Then look into Flare, tutorials, and a trial. Cheers! On Fri, Feb 28, 2020, 11:29 AM Robert Lauriston wrote: > FrameMaker is not similar to any other tech docs authoring tool. It's > fundamentally a page layout program. > > Flare is fundamentally an HTML authoring tool. It's very similar to > RoboHelp and many other help authoring tools. If you've never used a > similar HTML authoring tool, the learning curve could be pretty steep. > > On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 9:20 AM Ken Poshedly > wrote: > > > > At a job interview yesterday (February 27), one of the folks I met with > stated her hopes that besides the usual technical writing duties, she plans > for a modernization of one of the company's web pages. Her comment was that > "It's so 1980s." > > > > While I've done online content here and there, I've not done really > full-blown, overall web site design or redesigns. The staff person (a vice > president) said that the current page was done using MadCap Flare. > > > > Due to the EXTREMELY restrictive policies at my previous employer (where > I worked for nine and one-half years before the tech pubs function was > outsourced), we weren't permitted to spend any money on upgrades to our > software or learn new ones. Thus, I have no experience with MadCap Flare. > > > > So I ask about the learning curve; I'm already a 22-year user of > FrameMaker, Acrobat Pro (version 9, an oldie) and other tools. So how > similar are these two (FM and Flare) to each other? And if I spend a few > hours a day using the trial version, any idea on my proficiency? > > > > I know this open-ended, but it's really new territory for me. Plus, I > won't even know if I get the job for a few days or weeks. Just trying to > plan ahead. > ___ > > This message is from the Framers mailing list > > Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com > Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com > Archives located at > http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ > Subscribe and unsubscribe at > http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com > Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com > > ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
Frankly, I'd disagree - if you can use Word & FM, you can use RH or Flare - you may not get all the subtleties in it, but topics are topics and styles are the same as paragraph tags and cross refs are just hyperlinks to bookmarks. The barrier to entry is pretty low. I'd say you should go ahead and download a trial & play with it. From: Framers on behalf of Robert Lauriston Sent: February 28, 2020 12:29 PM To: An email list for people using Adobe FrameMaker software. Subject: Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare FrameMaker is not similar to any other tech docs authoring tool. It's fundamentally a page layout program. Flare is fundamentally an HTML authoring tool. It's very similar to RoboHelp and many other help authoring tools. If you've never used a similar HTML authoring tool, the learning curve could be pretty steep. On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 9:20 AM Ken Poshedly wrote: > > At a job interview yesterday (February 27), one of the folks I met with > stated her hopes that besides the usual technical writing duties, she plans > for a modernization of one of the company's web pages. Her comment was that > "It's so 1980s." > > While I've done online content here and there, I've not done really > full-blown, overall web site design or redesigns. The staff person (a vice > president) said that the current page was done using MadCap Flare. > > Due to the EXTREMELY restrictive policies at my previous employer (where I > worked for nine and one-half years before the tech pubs function was > outsourced), we weren't permitted to spend any money on upgrades to our > software or learn new ones. Thus, I have no experience with MadCap Flare. > > So I ask about the learning curve; I'm already a 22-year user of FrameMaker, > Acrobat Pro (version 9, an oldie) and other tools. So how similar are these > two (FM and Flare) to each other? And if I spend a few hours a day using the > trial version, any idea on my proficiency? > > I know this open-ended, but it's really new territory for me. Plus, I won't > even know if I get the job for a few days or weeks. Just trying to plan ahead. ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
Re: [Framers] MadCap Flare
FrameMaker is not similar to any other tech docs authoring tool. It's fundamentally a page layout program. Flare is fundamentally an HTML authoring tool. It's very similar to RoboHelp and many other help authoring tools. If you've never used a similar HTML authoring tool, the learning curve could be pretty steep. On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 9:20 AM Ken Poshedly wrote: > > At a job interview yesterday (February 27), one of the folks I met with > stated her hopes that besides the usual technical writing duties, she plans > for a modernization of one of the company's web pages. Her comment was that > "It's so 1980s." > > While I've done online content here and there, I've not done really > full-blown, overall web site design or redesigns. The staff person (a vice > president) said that the current page was done using MadCap Flare. > > Due to the EXTREMELY restrictive policies at my previous employer (where I > worked for nine and one-half years before the tech pubs function was > outsourced), we weren't permitted to spend any money on upgrades to our > software or learn new ones. Thus, I have no experience with MadCap Flare. > > So I ask about the learning curve; I'm already a 22-year user of FrameMaker, > Acrobat Pro (version 9, an oldie) and other tools. So how similar are these > two (FM and Flare) to each other? And if I spend a few hours a day using the > trial version, any idea on my proficiency? > > I know this open-ended, but it's really new territory for me. Plus, I won't > even know if I get the job for a few days or weeks. Just trying to plan ahead. ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
[Framers] MadCap Flare
Group, At a job interview yesterday (February 27), one of the folks I met with stated her hopes that besides the usual technical writing duties, she plans for a modernization of one of the company's web pages. Her comment was that "It's so 1980s." While I've done online content here and there, I've not done really full-blown, overall web site design or redesigns. The staff person (a vice president) said that the current page was done using MadCap Flare. Due to the EXTREMELY restrictive policies at my previous employer (where I worked for nine and one-half years before the tech pubs function was outsourced), we weren't permitted to spend any money on upgrades to our software or learn new ones. Thus, I have no experience with MadCap Flare. So I ask about the learning curve; I'm already a 22-year user of FrameMaker, Acrobat Pro (version 9, an oldie) and other tools. So how similar are these two (FM and Flare) to each other? And if I spend a few hours a day using the trial version, any idea on my proficiency? I know this open-ended, but it's really new territory for me. Plus, I won't even know if I get the job for a few days or weeks. Just trying to plan ahead. Thanks all. -- Kenpo in Atlanta ___ This message is from the Framers mailing list Send messages to framers@lists.frameusers.com Visit the list's homepage at http://www.frameusers.com Archives located at http://www.mail-archive.com/framers%40lists.frameusers.com/ Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://lists.frameusers.com/listinfo.cgi/framers-frameusers.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com
