RE: Striving To Increase The Page Count Was: Estimation of the number of pages...

["Mike O." <obie1121 -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Sharon Burton wrote:
> 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. 

In my experience there is rarely enough information or time available
to make a credible estimate, though make one you must. I have no doubt
some writers can hit their estimates exactly, but I suspect their
estimates are a bit Procrustean. 

Documentation is a activity that reacts to events. It's a follow-on
activity, like the guy following the circus elephants with a shovel.
You can plan your docs as closely as you like, but you will almost
always be overtaken by events. True, traditional project management
holds that when circumstances change you should simply update the
project plan. But in reality, nobody is going to alter their milestones
because of the tech writer. So regardless of the project plan, most
documentation projects are managed by the ancient timebox method (i.e.,
deadlines). 

Mike O.



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