Fwd: RE: DITA sample set

Best,
Kris

Kristen James Eberlein
Principal consultant, Eberlein Consulting
Co-chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee
Charter member, OASIS DITA Adoption Committee
www.eberleinconsulting.com
+1 919 682-2290; kriseberlein (skype)

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	RE: DITA sample set
Date:	Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:45:58 -0400
From:	Joe Gollner <jag@gnostyx.com>
To:	'Kristen James Eberlein' <kris@eberleinconsulting.com>, <jgollner@stilo.com>
CC:	'Jang Graat' <jang@jang.nl>

Hi Kristen and Jang

I did have some work done in this direction. It made some progress but it
certainly fell short of what I was envisioning even for a starting point. I
have been working on a roadmap for the demonstration instances and I expect
that we will be starting another round on the set shortly. 

The chief weakness in the current data set, and this is a cardinal sin based
on my own rubric, is that there is no "scenario" guiding the evolution, or
demonstration, of the content. I retained a DITA Author / Consultant to work
on the demo set - with the primary criteria that the data be based on real
content (hence achieving another element of my rubric - that of "functional
realism"). This last part was partially achieved in that there are plenty of
topics etc that are variations on real data (communication device software).
It fell short in that wherever name substitutions were needed the author
tended to insert "joke names" which seems to be a natural tendency and which
explains a lot of demos that you see. 

I realized that the content needed to evolve in a way that would allow it to
be re-cast in different demo situations - for example by quickly
substituting all of the product and feature names (about which I am
apparently so fussy). This was a good revelation because it would show one
feature of DITA being invoked to help improve the usefulness of the set for
demonstrating DITA. 

Also, I had wanted the supporting graphics to look a lot better than they
did. I realized that these graphics could in many cases be replaced by an
imaginative use of Tables (which would also make it much easier to
substitute names as per the above). The illustrations that could not be so
changed would be candidates for deployment in SVG and using either separate
legends or layers / variables in the graphics to again handle
collection-wide changes. 

All this to say that there is some progress being made but I am not happy
with its current form. As you can see, I do have something of a plan to move
it forward. 

As a collection, the current set includes 130 topics or so - and a number of
maps. It intentionally focused on using core DITA 1.1 features.  I would
like to firm up the collection along the above lines and then chart a path
forward that a) fills out the scenario story, b) incorporates more
functionally realistic content, c) incorporates more content that can
provide processing / rendition challenges, and d) incorporates modules of
content that intentionally illustrate the use of specific features. Perhaps
betraying a character flaw, I am intent on establishing a firm foundation
before I continue. 

I have attached the set in its most recent iteration. Perhaps you will see
it differently, or see other possibilities for its evolution. 

As your note Kristen identifies - this is different than a test suite which
is also important and which represents a lot of work as well (although it
will be demanding in a different way).

I will be in Providence so see you there

Joe
	

Joe Gollner | @joegollner | www.gollner.ca | joe@gollner.ca

Gnostyx Research Inc. | www.gnostyx.com | jag@gnostyx.com
1 Rideau Street, Suite 700, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 8S7
Tel: 1-613-670-5786


-----Original Message-----
From: Kristen James Eberlein [mailto:kris@eberleinconsulting.com] 
Sent: March-27-13 8:55 AM
To: Joe Gollner
Cc: Jang Graat
Subject: DITA sample set

Hi, Joe.

I hope you are well; maybe I'll see you in Rhode Island at the CMS/DITA NA
conference?

Anyhow, I have an open action item (from my work with the DITA Adoption
TC) to get in touch with you. I remember that you gave a very interesting
presentation at DITA Europe 2011, and that we later talked about the need
for robust sets of DITA source that were publicly-available (and did not
involve garages or bicycles :).

The Adoption TC keeps raising the idea of a DITA Test Suite, and I keep
trying to redirect those energies into work on a sample set that would
illustrate DITA's architecture and features.

Have you done any work in this area? I've done a few samples for clients,
but of course do not have the right to share those.

Cc'ing Jang, who was also present at this DITA Adoption TC meeting.

--
Best,
Kris

Kristen James Eberlein
Principal consultant, Eberlein Consulting Co-chair, OASIS DITA Technical
Committee Charter member, OASIS DITA Adoption Committee
www.eberleinconsulting.com
+1 919 682-2290; kriseberlein (skype)

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