The usual electronic publishing turns traditions upside down

Symptoms of the present state of multimedia and information

Propagating documents

Deadlines mean a new medium is quick to use. The new browser is accompanied by a CD-ROM version. Each use causes propagation, resulting in an new text version. Hydra modern

The genealogy problem

Derived documents are altered, not so parent documents. Which is the currently valid document? Which document is derived from which?

Redundancy

Identical content in various versions and formats for different media. Which document is not needed?

Information base proliferation

Product permutations pile up. Each version of the product has its own documents -often in several languages.

User requirements

Users want access on demand, and current validity, tailoring for target groups, dynamic presentation, comprehensive cross-referencing, worldwide and for every document, as a matter of course.

The Search-and-find Problem

Growth in documentation and in versions of documents means more maintenance and more effort devoted to finding and identifying. You don't deal with the document - it deals with you.