Re: I'm now blogging about Agile & TW

[David Farbey <dfarbey -at- yahoo -dot- co -dot- uk>]

I have seen software projects executed very badly, irrespective of the 
software methodology the team concerned claims to be following. I have 
also seen projects done well, including project teams who follow the 
spirit of collaborative, iterative, development that is embodied by the 
Agile method. Of course it's easy to throw a few buzzwords about, and 
saying "let's have a scrum meeting every day" doesn't necessarily mean 
that the team concerned is really involved in Agile development.

But it is totally wrong to dismiss Agile, or any other methodology, out 
of hand in the way that Ed does.

In fact the Agile philosophy has led to advances in the popularity of 
both Test Driven Development and Behavior Driven Development, which get 
developers to think about programme behaviour from the end-user 
point-of-view before they write code. These sorts of development should 
be welcomed by anyone whose job it is to explain technology and make 
technology products easier to use.

David Farbey

Ed wrote:
> I actually agree with Robert on this one. From the bit I read on Wikipedia,
> it sounds like a buzzword-filled methodology forced on a group of people
> that doesn't solve most people's problems. 
>
> Kind of like DITA.
>
> How does anything get done in four weeks when there's "extensive planning"?
> And how extensive can planning be when it doesn't look long-term? Isn't that
> a bit dangerous?
>
> Also, a "manifesto" that's centered and laid out like a poem kind of
> frightens me.
>
> -=Ed.
>
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: techwr-l-bounces+hamonwry12=hotmail -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+hamonwry12=hotmail -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
>>     
> Behalf
>   
>> Of Marguerite Krupp
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 1:21 PM
>> To: TECHWR-L Writing; Robert Lauriston
>> Subject: Re: I'm now blogging about Agile & TW
>>
>> For the intellectually curious, or those just willing to keep an open mind
>> about how we do our jobs (or, for that matter, who want to keep themselves
>> marketable), consider reading the following resources:
>>
>> www.agilemanifesto.org (The "project documentation" referred to means
>>     
> specs.)
>   
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development
>>
>> Obviously, there are issues as well as advantages in applying a software
>> development methodology to documentation. Agile methodologies (there are
>> several) have been around for 10 years that I know of. They don't work
>>     
> well
>   
>> for all projects or for all people, but they're out there, and wise tech
>> writers will at least familiarize themselves with the concepts. I'm not an
>> advocate; I'm a learner. There are tech writing jobs out there using Agile
>> methodologies. If you choose not to use the tools, that's OK, but know
>>     
> what
>   
>> you're accepting or rejecting.
>>
>> If you think of the Agile doc modules as building blocks, not as a
>> "disorganized mess," you'll see how you can use them to create
>>     
> documentation.
>   
>> Key Agile tenets, BTW,
>> include extensive planning, generation of user stories (who will use this
>> stuff how), and a high degree of granularity of material. But go look for
>> yourself and then decide whether it works for you. Julie has given us a
>>     
> good
>   
>> start.
>>
>> Marguerite
>>     

-- 
David Farbey
david -at- farbey -dot- co -dot- uk
http://www.farbey.co.uk
http://twitter.com/dfarb


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