---
title: "Podcast: Help Authoring with Doc-To-Help 2009, Interview with Nicky Bleiel"
date: 2009-01-05
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# Podcast: Help Authoring with Doc-To-Help 2009, Interview with Nicky Bleiel

**Listen here:**

[Audio](https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/podcasts/doctohelp.mp3)

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/apple_podcasts.png)](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id-rather-be-writing-podcast/id277365275) [![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/watchonyoutubeblack.png)](https://www.youtube.com/@idratherbewriting) [![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/spotify.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/4HeOZfPGMMfViOhVS40QBD)

[ComponentOne](http://www.componentone.com/) recently released [Doc-To-Help 2009](http://www.componentone.com/SuperProducts/DocToHelp/), which introduces a complete redesign of their user interface. In this podcast, I talk with Nicky Bleiel, who works for ComponentOne, in depth about Doc-To-Help. Nicky has been a technical communicator for fourteen years and is now a director at large for the STC. I've met Nicky several times at Doc Train and STC conferences, and have interviewed her for other podcasts about [web 2.0](https://idratherbewriting.com/2008/05/31/podcast-analyzing-your-users-and-needs-before-creating-the-help-deliverables-interview-with-nicky-bleiel/) and [the STC](https://idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/25/stc-elections-interview-with-nicky-bleiel-march-25-2007/).

This podcast is sponsored by ComponentOne, the makers of Doc-To-Help . It's one of my first sponsored podcasts, but even though it's sponsored, I've tried to keep my same interviewing style.

In this podcast, we focus exclusively on Doc-To-Help. Specifically, we talk about the following:

- Help outputs available from Doc-To-Help
- Flexibility in choosing your authoring editor
- Doc-To-Help's new ribbon-based interface
- Team authoring in Doc-To-Help, including file check-in and check-out
- Dynamic help controls available
- A sandcastle plugin for SDK and API writers
- The appeal of the technical communication field

We also cover a few other topics, such as Doc-To-Help's approach to DITA and Web 2.0.

To contact Nicky, send her an email at (email address hidden). Also, feel free to drop me a line at (email address hidden)