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Okay, that's a good point Alan. GOOD engineers care about documentation because
GOOD engineering includes documentation as a core component. However, this is why
companies hire technical writers. To help engineers produce documentation.
The original poster in this thread isn't going to be producing anything. He is
merely building a system that engineers can use to produce documentation. And
that is problematic since writers are ostensibly hired to do the documentation,
not merely "facilitate" it.
Andrew Plato
--- "Miller, Alan" <Alan -dot- Miller -at- prometric -dot- com> wrote:
> Andrew Plato wrote:
>
> "And since most engineers could care less about documentation...well the odds
> are against you."
>
> I have a chance to disagree with Andrew. <G> Engineers care very much about
> documentation, they couldn't keep their licenses if they didn't. Tour a
> construction site, a factory floor, or your state highway department. You'll
> see masses of documentation; materials schedules, welding diagrams, simplified
> schematics, controls diagrams, isometric diagrams, assembly prints and
> instructions, electrical wiring diagrams, piping diagrams, codes and standards,
> test procedures, data sheets, receipt inspections, and procedures, procedures,
> procedures. And guess who created, signed, and certified every print, diagram,
> and procedure? Yep, an engineer.
>
> I agree with you if by "engineers" you mean software developers/engineers who
> may or may not be degreed engineers and are not licensed; and by
> "documentation" you mean user guides/manuals. But these are a fraction of the
> profession of engineers. (And some would argue that these are not truly
> "engineers.")
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