Subject: Re: unsolicited advice...... From: xerxes@clark.net (xerxes) Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:54:14 -0400 (EDT)

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Judging from Mike, Donovan's, and Mark's replies, it seems I may have
touched a nerve.  Good.

I agree there should be a division of labor, but that does not mean
feather-bedding.  The technology of automation is good enough that minor
production chores can be handed off to most (not all) writers,  IF the
editors and production chief set-up such a system.  Of course, setting-up
such a system will ruffle feathers.  Some folks will get downsized.  Others
will have to learn a new skill or two.

But I am convinced that the modern journalist is up to these dangerous new
challenges!

At 9:01 PM 8/27/96, Mike McLeod wrote:
>There should be a division of labor. Writers should worry about getting the
>story, and making it the best they can. Leave the packaging of their
>stories to copy editors and their online content producer/editors
>counterparts.
>
>Let the writers write, the artists create and the packages package. That's
>the best way to get high-volume Web publishing done.

Is it?  Can you back this assertion with comparison studies?  Or are you
asking for a continuation of wishful thinking....?

Donovan sez:

>I'd rather have writers working the telephones and worrying about the
>writing end of things. If you want writers' output to drive production,
>then work on setting it up so that File/New and File/Save and File/Save As
>do all the work.

Well, three menu commands might not be enough...but 7-12 might do it.  The
key is getting enough style templates written-off on by the editors and
art/production chiefs to cover most situations.....then the writers do not
have to make too many choices......just a few mechanical issues that will
not overly tax their creative sensibilities...... 8-)       This is not
impossible, and will save time, steps, and money in the intermediate term.


The rice bowl problem is common to ALL MATURE ORGANIZATIONS.  Usually,
private firms in competitive markets overcome these issues, ...... or go
out of business.  But governments, and firms that have little effective
competition can become intensely hide-bound, and leadership will offer
every possible rationalization for maintaining status quo organization and
procedures---even when technology changes make old forms and structures
utterly obsolete........do newspapers fall into this category?  You decide.
Does competition from outside the newspaper industry threaten papers?
You decide.   Will news operations run by MS or Telcos emulate inflexibly
the divisions of labor set up by papers 100 years ago?  You decide.







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Subject: Re: Newspaper sites using Shockwave From: xerxes@clark.net (xerxes) Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:54:14 -0400 (EDT)
How the Web Was Won
Subject: Re: Newspaper sites using Shockwave
From: xerxes@clark.net (xerxes)
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:54:14 -0400 (EDT)

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