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This makes no sense to me from either a creative or a production point of
view. Why have good reporters, who at large papers are paid $65,000 and up
(and will likely need to be paid well in the online world as well), wasting
their time doing HTML coding, when simple HTML coding can be handled by a
far less expensive clerk or producer, or by a copy editor (who on the paper
side is already handling typesetting coding), or ideally with no additional
human intervention at all?

I agree there shouldn't be an "army of HTML hounds," but the work shouldn't
go to the reporters -- not because it's coddling them, but because they're
being paid a lot of money to use other, more valuable skills and there are
other places the work can get done. It's the same reason most newspapers
don't have their reporters doing the coding for their typeseeting systems,
even thought they could.

And in any event, the type of simple HTML you'd expect from a reporter
won't get you an attractive web page any more than a simple run of galley
type will make you an attractive newspaper page. Unless you're doing
straight shovelware, some design intelligence needs to be brought to the
process, and that's not likely to come from the reporters.

Sure, some production people are able to write, and some reporters could
make up pages; people have a lot of talents they could bring to the process
of getting a publication out, paper or electronic. I can cook better than
many people in our cafeteria, too, so I could reasonably go up there each
day and make my own lunch. But since the point is to get the best
publication possible, that's probably not the best use of my time.

Rich

At 3:36 PM -0400 8/28/96, S. Finer wrote:
>No, I understand the need for copy editors and content editors, too. I do
>not see why there need to be an army of HTML hounds between the writers
>and the editors of an online pub.  The writers should be able to handle
>the HTML chores, if those duties are properly automated, especially with
>well selected, tweakable, templates.  Teach the writers to use the
>armatorium of templates......don't recreate the "copy-boy" rewrite army of
>yesteryear.
>
>Sounds to me as if there may be a political pressure operating that keeps
>the writers insulated, if not to say, coddled.
>
>and Mitch, do you actually know any journalists who write longhand these
>days?  I know several who two-finger type....but they are pretty damn fast
>for just two fingers.  They can learn a simple 10 minute template
>selection and fitting exercise, most of them anyway.  AND, I'll bet some
>of the production people can write, too.
>

.......................................................................
Rich Meislin                                        meislin@nytimes.com
Senior Editor, Information & Technology             212 556 1481
The New York Times


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