RE: How we define ourselves

Subject: RE: How we define ourselves
From: "Huey Callison" <huey -dot- callison -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 16:56:58 -0500

mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com wrote:

Al Geist [mailto:al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com] couldn't resist:
> Huey Callison wrote:
> > The answer I give to people that aren't in IT is "I write
> > books nobody reads about software nobody uses."
> Aren't we really just "Weapons of Mass Instruction?"
Nope. You snipped the part (later in his post) about
writing documents that nobody reads. Instruction works
only when read, and even then, it's iffy.

Well, 'nobody' is relative. More realistically, software design specs
I write are read by somewhere between two and ten people. I've been
blessed with a group of programmers that only occasionally deviates
from "what I wrote" without asking me first in the rare instances that
"what I ~meant~ to write" is the more correct answer. The problems,
when they occur, begin during the review process when I give the spec
to the client and ask "Is this what you want?" and they say "Yeah,
sure".

I have since learned that "Yeah, sure" is Clientese for "actually, we
only kind of leafed through it, so there's a few score minor bugs and
at least two major functional deficiencies that you aren't gonna find
out about until beta-testing starts, and these will force a redesign
of substantial portions of the system."

If anybody has a solution for that particular sticky wicket, I'd love
to hear it. And "make 'em sign it in blood" has already been tried.

--
Huey
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

Previous by Author: Re: How we define ourselves
Next by Author: RE: Why I like this list but not OT (long)
Previous by Thread: RE: How we define ourselves
Next by Thread: Re: How we define ourselves


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads