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Subject:Re:Should I run or is this project doable? From:Galyna Key <GalynaK -at- dataphone -dot- co -dot- uk> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 14 Mar 2001 10:04:22 -0000
Hi Johanna,
My situation is very similar to yours (with the only difference that I have
been writing in this mode for the last year, and gradually got used to it).
Our company preaches RAD, and as a result, I have been writing and
re-writing the same user guide for the last 6 months (releasing it for
different clients, and then having to update it as the interface change).
Anyway, what I have done in my case:
* made the developer install both Oracle (as I need it to run the
program) and the program itself, and made sure I was connected to the same
database;
* asked to be moved to sit next to the developer. (Gradually, he came
to trust me, and now he asks for my advise on the GUI design, and tells me
about all changes as they are happening. He even wrote a small spec for me
about his future plans!);
* screen grabbed all functional parts of interface, and documented
them as they were;
* left the not-yet-functional parts to be documented at the last
minute (sometimes, literally);
* learned everything I could about the industry for which this program
was designed (telecoms in my case), and figured out why the customers will
need to use it in the first place - then told them how to basing it on the
case scenarios;
Hope this helps.
P.S. I do send the documentation together with the software, but expect to
start updating it later the same day...
Did I mention that I also have to write the online help?!
Galyna Key
Technical Author
dataphone
Tel: 01530 513 547
Fax: 01530 513 555
Email: galynak -at- dataphone -dot- co -dot- uk
For addressee only. E-mail may be falsified - the sender cannot be held
responsible for the integrity of this message.
IPCC 01, the IEEE International Professional Communication Conference,
October 24-27, 2001 at historic La Fonda in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
CALL FOR PAPERS OPEN UNTIL MARCH 15. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
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