Re: Agile software development and effect on techwriting

[Solveig Haugland <solveig -at- techwriterstuff -dot- com>]

It strikes me that as with all software approaches, and with all diets for that
matter ;> the crux is that you understand and then execute the system. AD seems
like it could easily be an excuse for some dev groups to just say "whoopee! we
don't have to document or be disciplined at all!" It can be done badly or well,
and done badly leaves the techwriter in the corner going, "There once was a gray
Login button...." doing what they can to divine how the software will work.

But done well...well, it looks good to me.

I'm choosing to be optimistic today, at any rate. Must be the sunshine and
predicted 60 degree highs here in Colorado.

Speaking of dev managers that give one no resources to work with, here's a story
of Hope. Just one story but a true story nonetheless. My old company did layoffs
6 weeks after I quit (darnit). This left them with a manager and two writers
where there once were six. The manager told the dev manager, "You know, I can't
do this with two writers even if I write halftime too." And she didn't make
everyone work 80 hr weeks for the next release cycle to make up for the laidoff
writers, they all just worked a normal amount with some pushing at the end. And
as predicted there weren't enough docs, and customers complained, and the dev
manager told the docs manager "$$%$%$@@!" and the docs manager said, "I told you
this would happen," and she all of a sudden got two new open positions to hire
for.

Solveig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
solveig -at- techwriterstuff -dot- com
"Tell Me About the Typos When the Software Works."

http://www.techwriterstuff.com
Products expressing the agony and ecstacy of being a techwriter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mike O." wrote:

> John Cornellier wrote:

> So rather than taking a finished product, starting at the beginning, &
working through to the end, the idea is to start with the Big Picture, then
fill in the details as they are established.

Sounds great. I've tried it myself, and probably recommended it a few times.
But it just doesn't work, at least not for me, YMMV.