RE: Recommended reading

Subject: RE: Recommended reading
From: "Sean O'Donoghue-Hayes (EAA)" <Sean.O'Donoghue-Hayes -at- ericsson -dot- com -dot- au>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2002 09:48:32 +1000


Miss Jane,

Whilst weighing up whether to include or exclude the section, even if the
engineer is correct and no one reads it (and I know this will be a slightly
controversial argument) perhaps it should still stay in. Because when
someone picks up a document they expect to see certain sections, otherwise
they might feel cheated or that the document doesn't cover the topic
adequately.

It is similar to the right size for a document....sometimes they judge it by
content, sometimes by accuracy, and ALWAYS by weight. If it doesn't look
right on the shelf they won't even open the covers of your carefully thought
out document/manual/book.

Ahhh so my vote would be to leave it in, unless it directly contradicts some
other feature of your document.

regards and thanks,
Sean

~Human nature? Sounds like bear cubs playing with loaded guns.~

-----Original Message-----
From: Jane Carnall [mailto:jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com]
Sent: Friday, 26 July 2002 1:24 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Recommended reading



At the end of the overview/intro chapter in all the docs I do for this
company, I have a list of "recommended reading" - commercially-published
books, some official websites, etc. This related directly to the info in the
manual (ie, if we tell them they have to use PL/SQL, we supply the
title/ISBN of a guide to learning PL/SQL - how I get these titles is by
reminding the developers to let me know what references THEY used and which
ones they thought were good, etc).

Anyway, one developer says he never reads this section and can't believe
anyone does. <g> (I have no feedback from our external audience on this
topic. I know they read the manual because the testers tell me about it, but
no specific info on what sections get read.)

I'm trying to think up something short, snappy but not snippy, etc, to
suggest that maybe, just maybe, other people might read sections he
doesn't... and then I thought I should stop to consider the possibility that
maybe, just maybe, he's right.

Thoughts.

Jane Carnall
"They are prisoners of their own dreams and illusions, as we were 30 years
ago. If the issue is between our and their illusions, we will never resolve
the conflict."
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone. Apologies
for the long additional sig: it is added automatically and outwith my
control.
Home: hj -dot- carnall -at- virgin -dot- net


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