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I get the digest so I'm a little late with my response, but here goes:
Geoff wrote:
Hofstadter's Law--"The time and effort required to complete a project are
always more than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's
Law."
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This whole discussion reminds me of something I've heard referred to as
"Ansoff's Law," based on research conducted by Igor Ansoff, a specialist in
the field of strategic management. To paraphrase, it goes something like
this: "The best companies plan, although they rarely follow their plans."
IMO, what this "law" means to techwriters is:
--In a perfect world, we could plan for all possibilities and follow that
same plan to completion.
--We don't live in a perfect world, sh*t happens, deal with it, and
adjust/drop your plans as needed.
--The "act of planning," of anticipating difficulties, resource needs,
deadlines, etc., is more important than following a strict plan.
--Planning a documentation project is good, but don't let the plan get in
the way of completing your project.
Jason Kajkowski
EBS Training Developer
Micron Technology
email: jnkajkowski -at- micron -dot- com
ph: 363-3759
pager: 7073895
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