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Subject:Big Time Help From:"Joe McPherson" <zenpickle -at- zensearch -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:7 May 2001 15:16:35 -0000
Have any of you had your entire job on the line based on one document?
I'm having that trouble now. The problem is that, well, it's a common problem. Management has a picture of the document they want, and all my prodding, questioning and divining is not extracting from their minds any hint of what they want.
A LITTLE HISTORY
This is a small pamphlet describing the organization's backup methodology. Having no experience with networking, I had them break it down for me and explain it in detail. I met with a few technicians and the managers who put the system together and want this document written. They broke the network down component-by-component. And that's how I wrote the doc, I broke it down into components and described how each one figured into the backup and recovery process.
Turns out that a component-based document is not what they want. They want a task-based document. I'm asking them what tasks do they perform related to backup methodology. I have yet to get a straight answer.
QUESTION
What I need to know is if any of you have worked on documentation for company networks, particularly backup methodologies. I have been giving myself a crash course on networking, and I'm having trouble understanding how a networking technician would use a document such as this.
Also if anyone can point me to documentation online that could give me an idea so I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here, that would be great.
Frankly, I lose this job if I can't produce what management has in mind, so I'm a little tense today. I also have little time to produce it (the new outline is due later today).
I've held three technical/web writing jobs before this, and none of them have been this intense, vague or critical. Is this a normal situation?
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