Where to start?

[Craig White <craig@tobyhouse.com>]

I hope that I am not being to newbie for this list but here's where I'm
at.

I have read through Wrox's 'Beginning XML' to get an understanding of
XML and worked many of the examples. I have been monitoring this list
for a few months now.

I have also created some sample XML files and using 'xmlto' commands, I
am able to generate a skeletal understanding of a small representative
files into both html and pdf

My non-profit agrees that this is the direction that we should go and I
am now going to have to take it the next step - hence my questions...

I know that I don't want to keep using my html editor for this and the
project is fairly large which will likely require training others
(volunteers/temps?) to do document conversion/creation.

The objective:
We have approximately 600 page 'manual' consisting of mostly static
text, some forms and a small amount of graphics. These are mostly in
individual Microsoft Word documents (ugh!) Final formats would likely be
html (for most usage including filling out forms) and PDF (for printing
hard copies). My platform is primarily Linux and my thinking is that I
will probably use subversion for this project.

1. I have looked at the web pages for several programs but the ones that
seem to be of interest are Oxygen and Serna. Oxygen seems to have more
features and Serna seems to be WYSIWYG. Recommendations?

2. If I am starting now, should I just go to Docbook 5 and relaxng?

3. Are there people who can be hired (reasonable...we are a
insufficiently funded non-profit service provider for mentally ill) who
can help me get started or is that even necessary? I can do html, css,
ruby but have no experience with xml except for minimal experience
listed above.

Any / all comments will be greatly appreciated

-- 
Craig White <craig@tobyhouse.com>