Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality? (take II)

Subject: Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality? (take II)
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: techwr-l List <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:31:27 -0400

Ned Bedinger notes: <<Your 2001 article for the STC mag reminds me of
the kid who is looking for a lost coin where the light is better,
instead of where it was lost. :-)>>

Well, the difference is that the kid who looks in the light still
finds more coins. (Speaking as a kid who found a lot of wandering
coins...) Why waste time poking about in the shadows?

<<Eschew obfuscation. Endorse the quality triangle.>>

_I'd_ wear that slogan on a t-shirt, and hang it right next to my
"beatings will continue until morale improves" shirt. <g> But at
work, I find it's misleading to give the quality triangle too much
credibility. When you buy into a dogma, you make it real. When you
treat it as something that can be subverted, you can make things
change for the better. Of course, maybe the theory's crap and I was
just unusually brilliant in some way entirely unrelated to the
theory? <g>

The larger point (presumably that a toxic and foolish work culture
won't be changed in this way) is certainly correct. A lot of these
cultures prefer to wallow in mediocrity (or worse) rather than being
willing to risk any change. I've left a couple such situations in the
past. You can't win 'em all, fine words notwithstanding.


----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
--------------------------------------------------
***Now available*** _Effective onscreen editing_
(http://www.geoff-hart.com/home/onscreen-book.htm)


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -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%40web.techwr-l.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/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

References:
Re: Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality: From: Abby Klemmer
Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality? (take II): From: Geoff Hart
Re: Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality? (take II): From: Ned Bedinger

Previous by Author: Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality? (take II)
Next by Author: RE: THANKS! Re: Software engineer tech. writers? Do they exist?
Previous by Thread: Re: Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality? (take II)
Next by Thread: Re: Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality? (take II)


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


Sponsored Ads