RE: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 9, Issue 25

["Schutz, Me" <me -dot- schutz -at- thermo -dot- com>]

On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 13:31:14 -0400 "Diana Ost" <Diana -dot- Ost -at- msmcorp -dot- com>
writes in part:

How many of you have been asked to document a software application, but
were not expected to need access to that software?...I was wondering how
prevalent this attitude is from businesses?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Diana,

Most experienced software engineers and programmers in our company, I'm
happy to say, no longer have that attitude...It is, however, prevalent
enough so that there has been a Dilbert cartoon floating around for at
least 10 years...

"Tina, you'll have to have all the documentation written by next week so
we can ship it when the software is done."

"How can I write instructions for something that doesn't exist yet?"

"You'll have to make logical guesses."

Text being entered...If you press any key your computer will lock up. If
you call our tech support we'll blame 'Microsoft.'

I actually submitted those last 2 lines to a programmer as a first draft
for engineering review...last time I ever had to do so...

ME  

Mary Ellen Schutz
Sr. Technical Writer
Translation Coordinator
Thermo Electron Corporation
5225-4 Verona Road
Madison, WI  53711
Telephone: (608)276-6100  ext. 2339
Fax: (608)276-6328 
me -dot- schutz -at- thermo -dot- com

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