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Subject:Expectations too high? From:sonjam -at- dhsolutions -dot- co -dot- za To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 21 Sep 2004 05:04:34 -0600
Im not entirely new to technical writing but landed in a rather unique
situation,
Im supposed to write all the help files, user manuals, training docs for 5
x custom developed software programs,
but Im sitting in a office on the other side of the building. I don't get
included in any of the project meetings,
and have no idea when the latest releases takes place or what is in them.
The developers think I have to write
the manuals out of my own knowledge, on my own steam, but I don't know the
products. Anyone else facing the
same situation?
So what I did (my first project was to do a technical installation manual)
was to gather info that was done previously
by the developers, and combine these. I know what a manual should look
like, so I formated the information. Then
I went around gathering more info, and presented it to the 7 x developers
on that specific project. The tore the whole doc
to pieces, and one of them then sat and documented the correct info.
Well, all I can say, is I got a document out of them
in the end.
What is the correct way this should work, how do you guys get the product
information?
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