RE: Release notes: what's your standard like?

["diotima" <diotima -at- myway -dot- com>]

what a coincidence. i was just going to ask about release notes and voila, there's already a release notes thread underway!



i have noticed that release notes vary widely, from the "classic" type (known issues, bug fixes, etc. in succinct plain [-text] style) to the full-fledged uber type (screen shots, marketing, multi-color, instructions, kitchen sink).



i'd be interested in seeing some good examples of release notes -- that is, from the point of view of technical writers. in my case, the product is an online application, so there's nothing to install and bugs are generally fixed in real time as they come up. i've been handed a set of release notes and asked to edit it, but i find it problematic in fundamental aspects (purpose, scope, audience analysis), but i also see that it's being driven by c-level managers' desires (who tend to feel that more is always better because it makes us look like a "real" company).



because i don't really want to overhaul the whole document (i have enough work at the moment), and because i don't want to fight the fight with the higher powers, and because i don't want to alienate the person who the doc, i am probably just going to do a surface copyedit and keep my mouth shut.



nevertheless, i am interested to hear more on this topic and especially to see some fine examples.



ciao,

diotima





 --- On Tue 10/11, Jenn Wilson < jenn -at- mylar -dot- outflux -dot- net > wrote:

From: Jenn Wilson [mailto: jenn -at- mylar -dot- outflux -dot- net]

To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 13:13:46 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Release notes:  what's your standard like?



<br><br>Hi, everyone --<br><br>I'm curious how your respective organizations view and publish release <br>notes.<br

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