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Re: The coming predominance of user experience and technicalcommunications
Subject:Re: The coming predominance of user experience and technicalcommunications From:Richard Lewis <tech44writer -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:John Posada <jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com>, Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>, techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:57:35 -0700 (PDT)
John Posada wrote:
Yes, knowing how to ask good questions is valuable. However, it's only valuable because we don't do what we should be doing instead, particularly well...understanding the application and the technology.
Richard Lewis responds:
I have never, ever in over 20 years worked on a software project where - even after I analyzed the app (if avail) and existing docs "till the cows come home", been able to come up with an adequate understanding of the product without asking alot of questions. I have lead numerous others, and neither could they. They may not have the intitiative level required to ask the questions, buth they still had the questions. If I would not have asked the questions for them, the required quality level would not have been met.
John Posada:
...and I REALLY don't know how you extended it to the bit about the developers, because they ask lots of questions..get included in their internal discussion lists and wikis and you'd see all the questions they ask each other.
Richard Lewis:
Developers are very poor at taking the initiative to ask questions at other than the bit and bite level. ( At that level they feel secure.) My God this is soooooo common: The project is in disarray, at the end of a project telecon where nothing of any real significance was discussed, management asks "Any questions?" Result: Some ity-bitty-level questions that do not address anything significant.
John Posada:
If they aren't including you in group, it's because they know you wouldn't have the answer, so why bother.
Richard Lewis:
I am currently leading large-scale integration efforts by documenting the As-Is. I do this, in large, by guiding a large number of BA's and PM's on how to do things the right way, This is tough work, and efficient use of time is critical. Many meetings and discussions are a waste of time. Those worth attending, I generally lead.
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