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Subject:Re: Who is responsible? (was living doc article) From:Andrew Plato <gilliankitty -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sat, 5 Apr 2003 10:14:20 -0800 (PST)
"Jan Henning" wrote
> How do you think that it can be the writer's fault if documentation
> differs from the final product when the documentation had to be
> finished (not by the writer's choice) before the product and the
> product changes after the documentation is done?
A good writer anticipates those changes and docs accordingly. A good writer is
"embedded" with his group enough to know what the final product will be. I used
to doctor up screen shots to match final versions.
The "I can't doc what isn't there" excuse just doesn't cut it. Talk to the
developers and find out what they're doing. Doc ahead of them.
This is why docs that are "instruction streams" get intro trouble. When all
you're documenting is reams and reams of "click here, enter that" one error can
be troublesome. But when the docs have conceptual information, diagrams, and
other supporting explanations, a error or inconsistency in the instructions
isn't as fatal to the docs. Users can infer a lot from the conceptual data.
> Now if you were to argue that every error in documentation were the
> responsibility of a manager, than I might agree with you, because every
> time an error occurs, a manager made one or more of the following
> mistakes:
> - Hire an incompentent writer.
> - Give a compentent writer not enough time and/or ressources to do the
> job properly.
> - Made faulty decisions - despite the input of a competent writer - on
> the scope of the documentation or other parameters.
Blah. While there is plenty of bad managers, even bad management isn't an
excuse for errors. Again, a good writer gets information by hook or by crook
and doesn't let poor management get in the way.
Also, the "they didn't give me enough resources" argument is BS too. They
didn't give enough resources because the writer didn't know how to ask for
them, or go get them him/herself. If you need something, get it. Its not your
manager's job to coddle you and give you every last thing you need to do your
job. Many managers have other things to manage beside writers. And honestly,
tech writing isn't a big priority on their list. So, take the initiative and
get the job done. Quit asking for permission to do everything.
Andrew Plato
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