TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
RE: Ever wonder why techwhirler lives seem so crazy? (a long rant)
Subject:RE: Ever wonder why techwhirler lives seem so crazy? (a long rant) From:"Jeanne A. E. DeVoto" <jaed -at- jaedworks -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 16 Apr 2002 22:43:39 -0700
At 9:10 PM -0700 4/16/2002, Emily Berk wrote:
> Code freeze slips;
>
> BUT
>
> the delivery date for the documentation slips NOT AT ALL.
Here is the essence of the problem. If the documentation schedule is built
around due dates, you're always going to have this happen, complete with
finger-wagging WPs ranting about delays.
If you are setting a documentation deadline, you *must* make it relative to
code releases, *not* absolute. For example, "The final draft of the
documentation is due three weeks after code freeze.", NOT "The final draft
of the documentation is due on 8/11." You would think that anyone would
realize that the latter has an implicit condition to the effect of
"...assuming I get code freeze in a timely fashion", but no.
If the schedule you've set up has relative dates, it is crystal clear to
everyone - even to people capable of assuming you can write the
documentation in the five minutes between code freeze and an absolute
deadline that was set months ago, before the schedule slipped - that the
documentation will not be finished instantly and that you are not
committing to doing magic. Cause and effect are made manifest in the
schedule, so if engineering slips a release, they know there will be ripple
effects in the doc schedule - because those effects are laid out in
CYA-able black and white.
Anything else will only lead to heartache and all-nighters, followed by VP
finger-pointing about how "the tech writer" has "delayed our WHOLE project".
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Free copy of ARTS PDF Tools when you register for the PDF
Conference by April 30. Leading-Edge Practices for Enterprise
& Government, June 3-5, Bethesda,MD. www.PDFConference.com
Are you using Doc-to-Help or ForeHelp? Switch to RoboHelp for Word for $249
or to RoboHelp Office for only $499. Get the PC Magazine five-star rated
Help authoring tool for less! Go to http://www.ehelp.com/techwr
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
