FW: Buzzwords & secret handshakes

[Jim Purcell <jimpur -at- MICROSOFT -dot- COM>]

Mike Collier writes:

> I think a lot of the confusion is created by the engineering tendency
> to
> string together adjectives and modifiers. This is one of the
> tendencies
> that gives engineer-speak its endearing (and, unfortunately, enduring)
> qualities.
>
> Let's try to parse the phrase: "System Development Life Cycle
> documentation" .
>
<detailed parsing snipped>

> Actually, "system development life cycle documentation" is an
> inelegant but well-understood term in software engineering circles. It
> is documentation of the system development life cycle, that is, all
> the documentation required for each phase of software development. It
> includes functional requirement specifications, software design
> documentation, test plans and scripts, user manuals, and maintenance
> manuals. For products that survive to be V2.0, you get all this again,
> but typically documenting only the changes.
>
> Software engineers usually hear "system development life cycle
> documentation" as one word, even if tech writers don't.
>
> Jim Purcell
> jimpur -at- microsoft -dot- com
> My opinions, not Microsoft's
>

 TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send commands
   to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
  Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/  or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html