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Subject:Re: Moving Target , Part 2 From:Karen Gwynn/Datatel <Karen_Gwynn -at- DATATEL -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 21 Feb 1996 13:48:04 EDT
Eric, you want to know:
How many of you have dedicated Training/Documentation
databases for your development projects? We've got a QA
database, a couple of development databases, and the future
production database, which we're using for training.
After implementation, our training database will vanish
and we'll be trying to share with either QA or development.
Well, that's interesting.I was faced with a similar situation that you
discribed. I need good data to get my screen captures, so I had been using a QA
database, _assuming_ (mistake #1) that my stuff would be secure. When my data
had been messed with, and thus changing the look of the screens I needed, I got
extremely annoyed (and then, by coincidence I found out about a change in the
area I was currently documenting). After I "calmed" down from the tirade that
initiated my posting, I did talk to my supervisor. When I explained to her how
even using the QA database was not insuring that my data stayed in the
condition I needed, she replied, "well, why don't we just get you your (doc)
own account (database)?" WHAT?? You mean someone is going to do something that
will actually help doc!?! So, next month, after the last of the major database
changes are done, we are going to get our own account to build our data,
capture our screens, run our little tests! Amazing! This is a first for our
company, but I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to happen. In this particular
situation, I just had to plead my case and my management took the proactive
approach of solving the problem. Oh, it probably bears repeating, that I am
part of the development team, so this type of thing seems to happen more
readily now. When doc was a separate dept., not even in the same division as
development, forget it; this never would have happened.
FYI, at the onset of this project, the idea was that doc would build its
examples in the database that is eventually shipped to clients (known as their
"education account"). However, that database wont be ready until June, a month
before our general delivery date. So that idea was nixed.
