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> > Heck, Andrew, they aren't even going to come to you and say,
> > "Here is our software, please document it for us."
Not so. I've got my Sr Software Developer suggesting to me what
additional software needs documentation and help and sends me drafts
of error messages that they are building into their applications for
rewording (got two yesterday, and they were implemented as I
suggested).
I posted a message a couple of weeks ago that a developer asked me
for the correct labeling for new GUI fields.
It can happen. Swing them over to your side by not wasting their time
with stupid half-baked questions, do your homework before approaching
them, get involved with the inhouse beta process, and demonstrate to
them that you WANT to help them out. Understand that software "can
(1)" go out without documentation, documentation cannot go out
without software.
Getting to this point isn't a quick process and some will fight it.
However, work in from the edges, always be available even if it is
for a few minutes. I also like to take the long way when going from
my office to the coffee machine, with my ears open. Any time I
overhear a conversation between developers, I stop and hang around.
As soon as I hear something that I think involves documentation
(maybe an installation issue that should be in documentation), I
start asking questions.
BTW...addressing a point from some weeks ago...documentation can
change the software. Our software had some areas that were rather
rough. However, they needed to be addressed. So, I wrote up the
process for those areas just the way it worked, and how to work
around some sticky issues. When the project manager saw what was
involved, that area of the sw was fixed because the documentation
showed "that the King had no clothes".
(1) users may not be able to use it, but it can go out.
=====
John Posada, Senior Technical Writer,
in process of looking for next contract effective 1/1/01.
"I'm not flying. I'm falling...with style."
-- Buzz Lightyear
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