"Design" was Re: Tech Writing a Growing Field?

[HBacheler at aol.com]

In my last assignment for the US Air Force I hade to develop a  
communications terminal system.
 
This system was a Data Communications Terminal (DCT) 9000, with a UniScope  
200 and a cassette drive.  I had to select the interface cards and related  
hardware.
 
I had to develop the interface, the message input and output, and the  
printouts.
 
It was for 6 Air National Guard Sites.
 
I had to develop the Users guide, the programmers references, and the  
training materials.
 
I had the responsibility to train it.
 
I also had to document the code, and test it.  The US Army had the  
responsibility for testing and approving the application before it could go  on-line.
 
The terminal system that I installed at an ANG base ran from 1977 to 1988  
with no 'patches' except for the location of some information on the  printout.
 
In July of 1977 I had to provide information on this terminal application  
(card decks, mag tapes, user guides, test materials and 2 days of training)  to 
some US Army personnel.
 
I retired in Nov 1977.  In January 1978 I went to FT Huachuca to work  with 
Army programmers.  They were in a separate, partitioned area from  me.
 
Several of them came to me and said they had questions about the code and  
associated documentation. We discussed the 'documentation' that I had provided,  
including why I had written code a certain way, and how well it was  
documented.
 
They told me that I had saved them 6 months of work with the thoroughness  of 
my documentation and the application itself.
 
--------------
 
What I am trying to say is that if it is documented where others can read  it 
and understand it, you have done your job.
 
Technical writing is NOT an art, it is a science.  In our world we  encounter 
a large number of 'prima donnas' who don't appreciate the 'support'  that we 
provide.
 
It is better to do it right, rather than do it twice!
 
Enough of my 'ranting'.
 
Like I said before, been there, done that, still have the coffee  cups.  
Nothing new under the sun, just a different  approach.



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