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Yeah, Tony, you are guessing because you are not God and therefore it is
impossible for you to know how all tech writing projects fail.
Tony Markatos responds:
I've been around awhile. I've worked in-hourse, contractor, and consultant.
The major failings that I have seen were all due to poor end-user tasks
analysis, poor estimates - especially firm due date projects, and lack of
standardization (especially of terminology). Such has been the expericence
of other technical communicators that I know.
Andrew Plato said:
Furthermore, if these problems are so evident, as you suggest, then why on
earth does your company keep making them? Clearly, you have bigger problems
then merely knowing what your problems are.
Tony Markatos responds:
Again I'm not talking about one particular company.
Andrew Plato said:
Projects fail for billions of different reasons. .... far too complex for
our puny brains to comprehend.
Tony Markatos responds:
Errr speak for yourself.
Andrew Plato said:
Therefore, any postulates we have about why those systems fail is pure
guessing.
Tony Markatos responds:
You must be new to Technical Wrriting. It is not that complex. There are
but a few "core" problems - lots of symptoms, but few core problems.
Andrew Plato said:
In very general terms, systems fail because it is pre-destined that all
things will fail. ...... kittens, dinosaurs, and your documentation project
are all doomed to eventual failure and destruction. This is the nature of
the universe -not a "problem" with companies.
Tony Markatos responds:
Kittens will fail????
Anyways, if you are talking from a biblical perspective; then yes: all that
man does is "dust in the wind". Having said that, I have created, and I
lead projects that created, some exceptionally end-user friendly
documentation.
Andrew Plato said:
You only perceive success in relation to another point in time. However, the
success of today, is the dismal failure of tomorrow. Sucess is totally
dependent on your perception and not on some divine "objective reality" that
governs the business world.
Tony Markatos responds:
????
Andrew Plato said:
Therefore, the fact that a team lacks a specification, a process model, or
whatever acronym is cool this week is merely one factor in a sea of issues
that neither you or I can truly understand.........
Tony Markatos responds:
?????
Tony Markatos
(tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com)
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