RE: Software Text Incorrect
I still want to be able to point to the books (well, help files actually)
and say with confidence that they are correct and represent the planned
operation of the product.
But if I am a user, I want to know how it *actually* works, not
how it's supposed to work.
Case in point: As part of my teaching, I incorporate an unnamed
off-the-shelf course management program for things like web-based
file exchange. I write up detailed procedures so that my students
know how to turn work in.
One part of the program has a bug: When the student
selects the button to add a file to the web site, the program
gives them an error message. The error message shouldn't appear;
the software adds the file just fine.
Do I document the bug? You bet. Otherwise, I get 35 confused
e-mails all saying "I tried to add my homework to the web site,
a couple of times, but it kept giving me this error message."
As a result, I then have 3-4 copies of each person's file on the
web site, which I have to clean up, and 35 panicky students
to respond to.
I could document what should happen, but to save myself grief,
I document what really happens.
It depends on the nature of the bug, and YMMV, but in just
about every case, I tell users what to expect so that the
customer support folks (or me, when I'm teaching) don't go
insane (or at least, not for that reason). Bug or not, if that's
how it works, that's how it works.
Marie
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References:
RE: Software Text Incorrect: From: jgarison
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