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If you can't estimate what you're doing and how long
it will take, how will you know what is possible in
the time available and how will you know when
you're done?
Tony Markos responds:
Great question Sharon! I think it was JoAnne Hackos
who once wrote that the way most Tech Writers proceed
is that they document wildly until someone "blows a
whistle".
I agree that often - maybe most often - that is the
way the world REALLY works. Basically, after the
whistle is blown, the TWs just find a reason to
radically cut things off and "call it a wrap".
Sharon Burton:
Every mid to senior level writer should be able to
closely estimate their project. It is one of the
criteria by which, in my company, you get classed
as a senior writer. That and ability to manage your
projects. And you can't manage it until you can
estimate it.
Tony Markos:
For good estimates, you just don't estimate. The first
thing, and the real boggie, is properly scoping out
the project and then "chunking" the system into
right-size pieces (i.e. relatively small and equal
size pieces). This is real interesting - when was the
last time you heard a good discussion on how to
properly scope out and "chunk" a system - other than
my rants on this listserv about Data Flow Diagramming.
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