Comments on: Something old, something new – design patterns http://justwriteclick.com/2007/11/16/something-old-something-new-design-patterns/ Documentation as conversation Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:58:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: annegentle http://justwriteclick.com/2007/11/16/something-old-something-new-design-patterns/comment-page-1/#comment-167 annegentle Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:20:27 +0000 http://justwriteclick.com/2007/11/16/something-old-something-new-design-patterns/#comment-167 Hi Cat, excellent perspective and it seems like there are two camps - one wants DITA-based standards, the other wants wikis with embedded video (in fact I just commented on the Wiki as forum, FAQ, HTML editor, XML editor, or CMS? post about such a thing.) It's as if in my work life, I'm seeking standards as a way to wrangle an Author-it database with 20,000 objects in it... but in my volunteer work with OLPC, I'm constantly seeking wiki-based doc with video and images-only to communicate concepts. What a dichotomy! So, I hope that there are accommodations for new technologies, but there will be mashups along the way where you simply guide your team that "video is procedure only, never concept" and that's that. I believe even with mashups like video in wiki, you could apply patterns to assist with consistency so that user's expectations are met when they click an embedded video. That might make no sense whatsoever when I read it tomorrow, but it sounds good this bright November morning in Austin. Thanks for making me think hard about all of it! Hi Cat, excellent perspective and it seems like there are two camps – one wants DITA-based standards, the other wants wikis with embedded video (in fact I just commented on the Wiki as forum, FAQ, HTML editor, XML editor, or CMS? post about such a thing.)

It’s as if in my work life, I’m seeking standards as a way to wrangle an Author-it database with 20,000 objects in it… but in my volunteer work with OLPC, I’m constantly seeking wiki-based doc with video and images-only to communicate concepts. What a dichotomy!

So, I hope that there are accommodations for new technologies, but there will be mashups along the way where you simply guide your team that “video is procedure only, never concept” and that’s that. I believe even with mashups like video in wiki, you could apply patterns to assist with consistency so that user’s expectations are met when they click an embedded video.

That might make no sense whatsoever when I read it tomorrow, but it sounds good this bright November morning in Austin. Thanks for making me think hard about all of it!

]]> By: Cat http://justwriteclick.com/2007/11/16/something-old-something-new-design-patterns/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Cat Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:52:13 +0000 http://justwriteclick.com/2007/11/16/something-old-something-new-design-patterns/#comment-166 Thanks for another thought-provoking entry. Personally, I worry that things like industry-wide standards will end up holding us back in the long run. While some of us focus on the anatomy of a how to, others are finding out that all our topic taxonomies converge with a single 15-second embedded video. It's a How to. No, it's a marketing piece. No, it's conceptual. No, it's an example. I'm guessing there are accommodations for new technologies, but I didn't see them in my quick read of your links. I look forward to hearing more as you explore it all. Meanwhile, thanks for the grasshopper article! Cheers, Cat Thanks for another thought-provoking entry.

Personally, I worry that things like industry-wide standards will end up holding us back in the long run.

While some of us focus on the anatomy of a how to, others are finding out that all our topic taxonomies converge with a single 15-second embedded video. It’s a How to. No, it’s a marketing piece. No, it’s conceptual. No, it’s an example.

I’m guessing there are accommodations for new technologies, but I didn’t see them in my quick read of your links. I look forward to hearing more as you explore it all.

Meanwhile, thanks for the grasshopper article!

Cheers,
Cat

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