Evolution of the "Red Book": from (paper) rags to riches

ABSTRACT

Each summer, Academic and Research Computing (ARC) produces a guide for Mobile Computing Program participants describing the specifics of the selected laptop computer and providing a general introduction to computing at Rensselaer. The guide has evolved over the last few years from a red loose-leaf binder of printed pages (hence the name, "Red Book") to an on-line series of web pages. This year, we made the decision to use the Luwak technology, presented and well received at last year's conference [2], to create the guide making it an easy-to-use tool for the students in addition to facilitating staff editing and updating. The Luwak technology is currently used by ARC for the Help Desk web site (j2ee.rpi.edu/helpdesk) where the student consultants can add their hints and tips quickly and easily. This was explained in a paper I presented at last year's conference [1]. This paper will discuss how the new format will create an improved "Computing at Rensselaer/Red Book" guide and, in a more general way, how the Luwak technology is changing ARC documentation.

REFERENCES

• 1: Nancy P. Kutner, Forging new partnerships in uncharted waters: staff and student consultants using the world wide web to get the information to users, Proceedings of the 30th annual ACM SIGUCCS conference on User services, p.269-271, November 20-23, 2002, Providence, Rhode Island, USA [doi>10.1145/588646.588718]
• 2: Kevin W. Bishop , Arlen Johnson , Deb Wentorf, From dated to dynamic: a campus newsletter unfolds as a web service, Proceedings of the 30th annual ACM SIGUCCS conference on User services, p.1-4, November 20-23, 2002, Providence, Rhode Island, USA [doi>10.1145/588646.588647]
• 3: Davis, Katie. All Things Considered, NPR, Commentary: Maps, April 2003

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.m MISCELLANEOUS

General Terms:
Documentation

Keywords:
documentation, laptops, training, web