Overcoming Objections from DITA Naysayers
Presenter:
Brian Buehling – Managing Director at Dakota Systems
www.daksys.com
Part 2 of a 3 part series
During a recent development effort, one of our clients was alarmed at the implementation costs of the proposed DITA content management system compared to the existing MS Word-based process. This was just one instance I’ve noticed in an alarming trend of balking at DITA systems in favor of using public web folders that are indexed by some full-text search engine as part of a local intranet. In the short run, these edit, drop and index solutions have some appealing features, such as low development and conversion costs. But they are short-lived systems that either wither from lack of functionality or rapidly outgrow their design. Fortunately, the initial objections to the cost of building an DITA content repository have become predictable. In most cases, they are based on either a misconception of DITA technology or an overly optimistic view of alternative approaches. Even though implementing a DITA system is not always the best approach for an organization, any system design decision should be made only after thoroughly understanding the common misconceptions of the technology involved. The list of questions compiled in this presentation is intended to be a guide for technical writers and their managers so that they can intelligently discuss the pros and cons of implementing a DITA content management and publishing system.
