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About six weeks ago I posted a query "Reviewing <ptui>" and got several
helpful and supportive replies. This month...
The same developer has produced for a contractual document something that he
says is the final version. (The deadline is end-of-day tomorrow.) There are
multiple egregious errors that can, and will, be corrected in time. But the
whole thing is full of the familiar convoluted sentences and occasionally
downright confusing punctuation (or lack of it). I have another deadline for
a related project end-of-day Thursday, and a bunch of stuff that has to get
done for *that*.
I feel this document ought to be revised/reviewed, but I feel proposing this
is certain to get flack - from the developer, who thinks he's done a
satisfactory job, from the project manager, who will point out that time is
pressing, from my departmental manager, who will just say "draw a line under
it". (And from my non-work self, who has a lot to do this week and doesn't
especially want to stay here till 9pm fixing this document.) I'm just tired
of the whole thing, yet this document makes my teeth itch.
The problem is that the document is very technical. If I could get the
developer's time for an hour to go through it and check exactly what he
meant to write, then revise it, then have him review the changed sections,
it would be greatly improved. (Even, I add with clenched teeth, if he
*didn't* review the changed sections.)
Hand it over with the errors corrected.
Hand it over with sections flagged for revision.
Third option...?
Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Compaq, UK
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone.
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