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Re: Documenting field descriptions in printed documentation
Subject:Re: Documenting field descriptions in printed documentation From:kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 17 Sep 2002 15:06:27 -0600
I like 1, 2, and 4.
But these are style issues, which are by nature arbitrary. The simplest
way (IMO) to resolve style issues is to select ONE person to be your
team's style nazi. That person's rule should be absolute. Do what they
say, and don't argue. Shut up and write.
Democracy just doesn't work in these circumstances, and an enormous amount
of time can be wasted discussing personal likes and dislikes, if you don't
nip these debates in the bud by creating a preemptive stylistic
dictatorship.
Obviously you want to pick somebody for this role who has an aptitude for
such things, but once you do, let them decide, and OBEY. It simplifies
things tremendously.
Why do I advocate this? Because in my experience you will NEVER be able to
define styles that everybody agrees with. Therefore, SOMEBODY is going to
be unhappy with the final decision, whatever it is. By eliminating the
debate, you reach a decision much faster. You'll still have somebody who's
unhappy with the decision, but at least you'll HAVE a decision, and you'll
be able to make your deadline more easily, because you didn't waste hours
(or days) in pointless debate.
Keith Cronin
what, me, jaded?
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