/////\\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\///\\\/\ \ / \ Welcome to the SGML Newswire \ / / \ To subscribe, send email to sgmlinfo@avalanche.com \ / with the body SUBSCRIBE 'yourname' / / To unsubscribe, send message 'unsubscribe' \ \ To receive a current table of contents, and \ / instructions for ordering back issues, / \ specify 'send toc' in the body of your \ / message. Please also pass along info / \ to interested colleagues. \ / / ////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\///\\\\/// 1995 SGML USER CASE-STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS: ================================================ In August, I sent out a brief questionnaire to the subscribers of the SGML Newswire. At this time we have over 718 subscribers. The six questions, in brief: 1) Level of experience: Beginner, Novice, Expert; 2) Products used to convert to SGML; 3) Ultimate use for SGML documents: On-line distribution, CD-ROM, Database, Web, other; 4) People in company devoted to SGML; 5) Useful SGML resources; and an option to fill in the blank: "It would be a perfect SGML world if", of which the responses will be forthcoming in another issue of the SGML Newswire. (The majority of the 'beginners' did not answer the question.) At the time of the survey, roughly 13% of the subscribers responded to our questions. The results have been broken up by the user's level of experience with SGML: Beginner/Novice/Expert. 1) Category: Beginner (32% of those surveyed) 2) Products they are using: The majority of people are just starting out and have not used SGML products. (61%) 3) Purpose for conversion: Ultimately they know their documents will be converted for online use (distribution/storage 76%). 4) People in their company devoted to SGML: None (30%) 1-3 (19%) 4 or more (51%) 5) Useful SGML Resources: 19% didn't answer the question 11% said they're still investigating 15% didn't understand the question 53% use books, consultants, and the Internet ******* 1) Category: Novice (40% of those surveyed) 2) Products: None: 1% The majority use a combination of products: 38% Such as: OMNIMARK, Fasttag, MS Author, DynaTag, Intellitag, InContext. Interleaf, Arbortext. Separately: OMNIMARK 3%, MS Author 11%, Interleaf 3% Others: Perl Scripts or other custom method: 15% 3) Purpose: Online distribution: 80% with the intention of also distributing documents through the World Wide Web. 4) People devoted: 0-3 (61%) 4-10 (34%) 11 or more (23%) use contractors as needed (3%) 5) Resources: Most used a combination of resources. Usergroups (7%), coworkers (23%), comp.text.sgml newsgroup (15%), practice/experience (15%), mailing lists (23%), training (15%), newsletters (7%), Internet (WWW, FTP sites) (34%), books (Practical SGML) (19%) - (SGML Handbook) (11%), software support people (26%), no response (7%), didn't understand question (7%). **** 1) Category: Expert (32%) 2) Products used: 38% of Experts use a combination of products: OMNIMARK, Fasttag, Author/Editor, Frame/Datalogics' GEPR Conversion Software, Near & Far, Custom Perl scripts, DynaTag, Bookmaster, Arbortext. Fifty-three percent use in-house custom applications mostly consisting of Perl scripts, but include some 'homegrown' solutions. 3) Distribution was more varied between experts, and not solely for one purpose: Most included on-line distribution and storage: 69% Others included: CD-ROM Printing Document management Ensuring structural consistency Legacy Documents Electronic Books Use among varied platforms HTML/Web Information Preservation 4) People devoted: 69% had 1-5 people devoted to conversion only Others were editors, researchers, and other developers (29%) 5) Useful Resources: Comp.text.sgml newsgroup: 33% Books: 12% SGML Newswire: 19% WWW/Internet/Gopher: 25% Magazines: 2% Vendors: 3% Other SGML people: 5% ////\\\\////\\\\///\\\///\\\\////\\\\///\\\\///\\\\///\ \ / / SGML NEWSWIRE LIST MANAGER \ \ Sue Martin-Gamble, Interleaf / \ 4999 Pearl East Circle, Ste 100 \ / Boulder, Colorado 80301 / \ VOX 303/449-5032 x 109 \ / FAX 303/449-3246 / \ sue@avalanche.com \ / / ////\/\/\/\/\//////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\/// :) :)