RE: Advocating Documentation and Support

[Christi Carew <ccarew -at- rangestar -dot- com>]

> Reading the "Talkbacks" has also been enlightening, 
> especially about the way that programmers and engineers feel 
> about documentation:

> "When you buy a car, does the dealer throw in a week's 
> refresher course on how to use the car's new features? 

No, but the brakes usually don't just stop working one day (y'know, that
"undocumented feature).
 
> "When you buy a VCR, does the merchant stop and offer you a 
> free lesson on how to program it? 

No, but (again) the VCR doesn't "unexpectedly shutdown" making you restart
your television every so often.

Perhaps if software were as bug-free as VCRs and cars (not that they are
perfect, mind you), then that might be an acceptable attitude. But the
quality of software is so low...

Christi Carew

Product Marketing Documentation Specialist
ccarew -at- rangestar -dot- com

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