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Subject:Re: Is it just me? S/W doc question From:Ginna Watts <gwatts -at- PIM -dot- BC -dot- CA> Date:Thu, 29 May 1997 17:05:41 -0700
At 08:34 AM 5/30/97 +1200, Mark Jordan wrote:
>Part of problem, of course, is that the document is based largely around the
>user interface, and this is only a portion of the software developers arena.
>In addition the developer does not reliably think about changes and there
>affect on the UI and the user.
Not only is this a problem for documentation here, but often the back-end
programmer 'forgets' to inform the UI programmer of the changes. I'll see
something new in the code, and go to the UI guy for the interface update,
and he'll have to say "huh?". Definite lack of communication here...
In this go around, however, I have been much more vocal about getting
notified. (I usually pass anything along to the UI designer as well). If I
see a feature before I hear about it, I have a little spaz. (Perhaps not
the best answer, but I've seen a definite reduction in the number of
unannounced changes).
I have little faith in any kind of formal system being implemented. I have
a manager who said (really) "The whole point of rapid application
development is to get away from rigid specs. Now the developers can just
add features as they come to mind!" (Arghhhh....)
Ginna
Ginna Watts - Technical Writer
Pacific International Mapping Corp.
gwatts -at- pim -dot- bc -dot- ca
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