RE: RE: Why should a tech writer learn XML?

Subject: RE: RE: Why should a tech writer learn XML?
From: "John Posada" <JPosada -at- isogon -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 10:51:51 -0400


>From Ned:

As for my experience, I have a few examples of the benefits derived from
being the tech writer and included on a project from project inception.
But most project docs (even the specifications) I've been tasked with
have been afterthoughts, if they've been written up at all.

I like to imagine that developers have their own cache of informal
project documentation that they don't ever release to technical pubs
because it serves their needs without further ado. In this fantasy, you
(as developer) would have access to the developer documentation cache.
In an elaborate version of this fantasy, tech writers would have access
also, using these developer notes as source material for documentation.

==================
>From John:

Your response had a bunch of stuff to which I'd like to respond if I had
the time that I don't, but thought you might be interested in something
that happened yesterday.

Foe the last month+, I've been making myself a real pain in the butt
with requests to attend the twice-weekly product engineering meetings
for a product under development. My position was that I can observe the
inclusion and exclusion of features even before they make it to
specifications and steer the documentation as appropriate.

Starting yesterday, I got my wish, was added to the invite list, and I
was told that "what happens here stays here". Fine with me...this was a
very big departure from the way things have been done for years.

So..about 30 minutes in, the subject of application Help came up, where
I explained that it's being written parallel to the documentation.
Somewhere in the conversation, the subject of how it is invoked by the
user came up and I mentioned "I had a conversation with the UI people
about their lack of including a help button last January and they turned
it down, so we're restricted to F1..I hope every screen, dialog window
has focus...BTW...I'll send you their email to me with their reasoning."

Guess what application now has a help button on every dialog box...also
the first time this is done in the history of this company...and the VP
running the meeting, afterwards, asked me if I found the meeting worth
MY time.

John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Isogon Corporation
http://www.isogon.com
"Realizing Your Business Goals
Through Software Asset Management"



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