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Re: Tech Writing Question

Subject: Re: Tech Writing Question
From: "Susan W. Gallagher" <susanwg -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 09:01:43 -0700


The problem with working from specifications is that
-- even the good ones -- are written from the wrong
point of view. The are meant to tell the programmer
what features to implement in the software and do
not necessarily specify how those features are to
be implemented or how they are to be used.

The spec may say, "the software allows the user to
create a new employee record" but it won't say how.
In the absence of a good, forceful, UI designer,
the programmers make ad hoc decisions about how these
features are to be implemented.

A spec can be very useful as a way to determine the
scope of a project; but it won't often get you beyond
that point.

-Sue Gallagher
susanwg -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com


At 11:08 PM 4/17/02 -0500, quills -at- airmail -dot- net wrote:

At 3:11 PM -0700 4/17/02, Richard Sanchez wrote:
I have another question regarding writing user
manuals.

Is there often a step where the tech writer has access
to some type of spec type documentation or writers
just start from scratch?

Thanks for all the help so far. This is a great group.


Yes, you are supposed to have access to the specifications. There should be two distinct types available: functional and design.

Could you work from them? Yes. If present they could be used.

Should you trust them? No. They are usually out-of-date, poorly written, incoherent, rambling, mismatched data, and usually written by people who think they are writing ok, but actually don't know what to put in these documents.



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Follow-Ups:

References:
Tech Writing Question: From: Richard Sanchez
Re: Tech Writing Question: From: quills

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