Re: inhouse vs outside doc (RE: Good/bad docs)

Subject: Re: inhouse vs outside doc (RE: Good/bad docs)
From: John Posada <posada -at- FAXSAV -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 16:16:34 -0400

Dan...a part of this message caught my eye, so since I don't have the time
at this point to respond all of your questions, I'd like to deal with one of
them.

> * If we're back to a level playing field, then how is it that folks tend
> to turn to outside doc to help them with a program, rather than the
> inhouse doc? What does the outside doc do that we inhouse writers should
> be doing?
>
>
"...should be doing." ???? Does the fact that "inhouse" is "we" and
therefore, outside is "them" have anything to do with it? There is no right
or wrong on WHERE...there is only a right or wrong when judged against the
user's requirement.

Instead of automatically classifying the inhouse department as the right
place to do all documentation by default regardless of what the user needs,
why not, BY DEFAULT", look at the user and choose the best way for the user,
not for the source?

To me, that's like saying that all departments should use a particular style
of documentation because it is the best style, regardless of how they are
going to use it.

Now, a few factors (of many) having to do with where, and I believe that
they can be applied to both sides, are:

- Where does the particular skill needed for the task reside that will give
the user more of what they need?
- Does the project fit into existing workload or would the project, should
it be merged into the stream, cause an impact on everything else being
worked on.
- Does the project require a new look-and-feel, with which the present
sources may not be able to adjust to. e.g., an contractor used to creating
manuals for in-house UNIX applications that must suddenly create a packaged
Windows User manual..maybe there is an in-house source that is more
comfortable.
- Is it a document that maybe, needs to be shielded from population for the
time being, such as a rework of the HR manual and policies from a corporate
takeover that you may not want leaked out yet.

Let's not forget that we are creating documents for the user, not for us.


John Posada, Technical Writer (and proud of the title)
The world's premier Internet fax service company: The FaxSav Global Network
-work http://www.faxsav.com -personal http://www.tdandw.com
-work mailto:posada -at- faxsav -dot- com -personal mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com
-work phone: 732-906-2000 X2296 -home phone: 732-291-7811
My opinions are mine, and neither you nor my company can take credit for
them.

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem,
see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable
words.", Goethe
"Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will
be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will
certainly misunderstand them.", John Ruskin


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