RE: Article: "Living Documentation"

Subject: RE: Article: "Living Documentation"
From: "Mark Baker" <mbaker -at- ca -dot- stilo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 10:37:19 -0500


Andrew Plato wrote

> This article has a number of questionable assumptions. But the
> big one is:
>
> "Because I am a technical writer, I understand that inaccuracies are not
> necessarily the fault of the writer, or even the editor. "
>
> Inaccuracies are 100% the direct fault of the author(s) and
> editors.

Andrew is correct that writers are obliged to do their research thoroughly
and completely before committing thoughts to paper. So doubtless he will
take 100% responsibility for not having read the very next sentence in the
article before taking the author to task:

"This book was produced before the final version of the software came out."

I think we have to give some leeway to the author when the inacuracy in a
document results from the product having been changed after the book was
already on the bookstore shelf.
---
Mark Baker
Senior Technical Writer
Stilo Corporation
1900 City Park Drive, Suite 504 , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1J 1A3
Phone: 613-745-4242, Fax: 613-745-5560
Email mbaker -at- ca -dot- stilo -dot- com
Web: http://www.stilo.com

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Re: Article: "Living Documentation": From: Andrew Plato

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