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Subject:Documenting A Moving Target From:Karen Gwynn/Datatel <Karen_Gwynn -at- DATATEL -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 20 Feb 1996 16:16:51 EDT
This posting is directed specifically at tech writers in a software development
environment, but anyone who has experience or input is welcome to reply.
Problem: I am trying to document a product that is still being developed, not
just tweaked. By this I mean, something that I documented on January 31, now
works differently. I think the change to my doc is relatively minor, but the
simple (ha!) fact that I have to review at least two chapters to make sure my
explanations are right and to recapture at least three screens is enough to
drive me over the edge. I've got three manuals and online help to finish by the
end of July and the programming is going on in one form or another until pretty
darn close to my deadline.
HELP! What do other people do? Do other software companies build in time at the
end of the development cycle for doc to catch up? Whose responsibility is it to
notify doc of all these changes as they occur (that's the other thing; I
happened to find this item, no one told me of the change).
Any advice (or job offers) is appreciated!!
Karen
--
Karen Gwynn, Senior Documentation Specialist
Datatel, Inc.
703/968-4556
e-mail kwg -at- datatel -dot- com
