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Category Archives: Commentary
Give them the objective, not the means
In a recent blog entry, ‘The relentless search for “tell me what to do,”‘ Seth Godin identifies a crucial tension in the manager/employee relationship. The tension is simple to explain, but hard to manage. Employees want to be told what … Continue reading
Update on Reference Checking
After berating companies for being lax at checking references, I received my second call in under a week, after a long dry spell, which led to some further thoughts…. Continue reading
Checking References
I just got a call asking for a reference for someone who worked in my group a few years ago. I was glad to give a reference, and happy that I could give this person a good one. Surprisingly, this … Continue reading
Does DITA Make You Dumb?
I had a twitter exchange a while back that got me thinking about DITA, structured writing, and the impact of tools on the perception of technical communicators. The basic question was whether structured writing in general and DITA specifically are … Continue reading
Article: Reuse Considered Harmful
The Content Wrangler published another of my articles, which can be read at the following URL: Content Reuse: Is It Harmful? I originally titled the article, Reuse Considered Harmful in honor of the famous letter by Edsger Dijkstra published in … Continue reading
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Article: “Ware” are you?
Content Management Strategies The Content Wrangler has just published my latest article, “Ware” are you? Web Content Delivery Strategies. The article proposes a categorization for the various ways content gets delivered on the web. My objective is to stimulate discussion … Continue reading
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What Can We Learn About Motivation from a Tornado?
I spent the last four days scheduling volunteers for an organization supporting the disaster relief after last week’s tornado in Colorado. When I came home each evening, I would find another installment of a lively discussion about motivation on the … Continue reading
Article: Seven Tips for Living with Technology
I’ve just published a new article, titled Seven Tips for Living with Technology, on The Content Wrangler. The article looks at some basic strategies for keeping your sanity as you acquire and work with technology. It is a significant re-write … Continue reading
Article: Choosing an XML Schema
Scott Abel, who runs The Content Wrangler, a website that focuses on content management, has posted an article of mine titled, Choosing an XML Schema: Docbook or DITA. The article talks about how to choose the right XML schema for … Continue reading
A CMS is like a Chain Saw
A chain saw will not tell you which trees to cut or what protective gear to wear. To use one safely, you must plan your cuts, use protective gear, and take appropriate safety precautions. Anyone who has seen a chain … Continue reading →