Re: Fwd: Acceptance of Mediocre Documentation

Subject: Re: Fwd: Acceptance of Mediocre Documentation
From: technical -at- theverbalist -dot- com
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 09:26:13 -0600


Having myself worked on contract or as the lone tech writer in a number of
places, what I've found is that a lot of times mediocre docs are accepted
'cause the PHBs just don't know any better. If they haven't seen how much
better ~their~ docs can be, they can't picture how much of a difference
the improvments can make.

I've been lucky enough to work in places where my managers, either 'cause
they didn?t really know what tech writers were supposed to do, or 'cause
they had too much other stuff on the go to be micro-managing me, were
really hands-off, basically telling me the deadline for my docs and then
expecting me to have them all pulled together by then. That, I've figured,
gave me free reign to run wild with the doc improvements. Yee haw. And
once I've shown the PHBs some concrete before and afters of the docs, and
presented a plan for making the changes throughout the docs, I've never
been turned down. I figure, especially as a contractor, but also as a
captive employee, it's part of my job to actively marketeer for docs
improvements, and to show people how improvements can be made. And I must
say, it's kinda fun, when you see the lights go on as a PHB realizes "Oh
now I get it--this really does make a difference."

So, if you're in a position where you aren't being micro-managed, take
some of the existing docs, improve them, work up a plan to transform the
rest of your docset, and develop a whiz-bang presentation to convince your
manager that the improvements will be worth the effort. Get in touch with
your inner infomercial and make improved docs an irresistible offer, with
easy bi-weekly payments...and if you act now a set of Ginsu knives...

Mandy...my iPod just started playing the Tom Tom Club's Wordy Rappinghood:
What are words worth?
What are words worth? - Words

Words to tell you what to do
Words are working hard for you
Eat your words but don?t go hungry
Words have always nearly hung me

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