Tech-writers - a necessary evilLearn MPS Technology on mps-technology.net. Tech-writers - a necessary evil article will help answer your questions on MPS Technology.We at mps-technology.net specialize in MPS Technology. MPS Technology at mps-technology.net provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
The programmers and managers sure as hell don't want to. In my experience, most programmers and managers think that they could write the manuals if they wanted to' they just don't want to. I don't know if it's intellectual snobbery, but programmers and managers seem to think that if they understand it, so should the user. When I was managing doco teams, my favourite saying was 'All we have to do is manage their expectations and our commitments'. Because programmers and managers resign themselves to the fact that they don't know what's going on in the doco team, there's sometimes a temptation to slacken off. The rest of your time is spent planning, problem solving, fixing your computer, researching, interviewing the programmers, writing work pracs' I always found it was a good balance, though. It was when I started managing teams that the bottom really fell out. Article: New to tech-writing, or thinking just about starting? The key to success is recognising that tech-writers are a necessary evil. Tech-writers are necessary for someone has to write the user doco. The programmers and managers sure as hell don’t want to. This is undeniably part of the reason that you’re evil, too. In my experience, most programmers and managers think that they could write the manuals if they wanted to… they just don’t want to. They might not write all “flowery” like the tech-writers, but what they write is correct. Unfortunately, that’s quite often all that’s important to programmers and managers. There is a feeling within the software environment that strictness = quality. auditor analysis, doco readability, consistency, usability, operating and passive voice, commas in a list of three or more items… All of these things are relatively unimportant to everyone but the tech-writer. Oh… and the user. In a world where scrupulosity is all important, a lot goes over the head of the dummy. I don’t know if it’s intellectual snobbery, but programmers and managers seem to think that if they understand it, so should the user. It doesn’t matter whether or not they do… they SHOULD! Stupid users! Maybe it’s the geek’s ultimate revenge… Your document can be 100% accurate, but if the convention can’t read it, you’ve wasted your time. So why doesn’t anyone finance this? They do! That’s the weird part. In theory, everyone agrees with you, it’s just in practice that you find yourself out in the cold. I don’t know why this happens. Maybe it’s whereas most of these guys have never done tech-writing. So tech-writers spend too long worrying random unimportant things. And they haze programmers and managers with unimportant things. But they’re necessary things. Otherwise why would you be employed. Maybe the non-appearance of simple logic short circuits their brains. Who knows? What we can get out of this is that there’s a feeling that tech-writers waste time, and as a result, they’re pretty much at the quagmire of the heap in the software world. I think a good comparing is the way some rich see the poor. Dirty little creatures… if only we could do without them… But there is an up-side. I don’t want you thinking it’s all bad. Being at the in reality of the heap has its advantages. You can go unnoticed for years if you want. If you haven’t seen the movie, Office Space, you should hire it. There’s a little ferrety party in that who was “let go” years ago. Problem is, no one ever told him, and being of a glitch in payroll he still got paid. No one ever noticed. Being a tech-writer’s a bit like that. When I was managing doco teams, my favourite saying was “All we have to do is manage their expectations and our commitments”. for programmers and managers resign themselves to the fact that they don’t know what’s going on in the doco team, there’s sometimes a temptation to slacken off. Don’t give in to this temptation!!! If you ever get caught, doing it, it’ll be like the boy who cried wolf – they’ll never swallow your estimates again! The other risk is that you’ll lose your sense of urgency. And that’s a big part of what makes a good worker. You should be very strict up and down managing your commitments. This requires discipline, seeing that sometimes it seems you’re the only one that cares, but you have to do it. One thing you should be cognizant of of though, is that your nuclear tech-writer in software spends only pertinent to 50% of his or her time writing. The rest of your time is spent planning, problem solving, fixing your computer, researching, interviewing the programmers, writing work pracs… I every hour found it was a good balance, though. It was when I started managing teams that the seat really fell out. Then the percentage dropped to encircling 10-20%. There were times when I’d go months without writing any help at all. That can be very frustrating, especially if you don’t particularly like managing. Now managing tech-writers in software is an interesting thing. As with most technology management positions, you kinda fall into it, considering you’re the most senior/experienced person in the company. Unfortunately, that doesn’t qualify you to be a manager. Software companies are renowned for dumping people into management roles without any real training or support. I don’t really have any telegram for you here. If it’s gonna happen, it’ll happen. Just be alive of it, and know that if you fall into a management role, it’s gonna be difficult. (That’s not to say that it can’t be rewarding though…) The ironic thing is that the most difficult slant of it is that your staff are screaming at you to compensate the system. “The programmers don’t squash our questions!” “None of my work has been reviewed for the last 2 months!” “The project manager just told me to forget round about quality!” Unfortunately, the inexperienced tech-writer is often naïve enough to think they can distinguish the system. Once you issue a manager, you know you can’t. Hold on a minute… Maybe no way is what qualifies you to be a manager… Hmmmm. In any case, my notification is not to push too hard. You’ll make life hard for your manager, and give yourself a bad reputation. Recognise you’re a necessary evil, and work within those constraints. Tech-writing can be a lot of fun. And don’t let anyone tell you it’s not creative. Trying to think of a way to describe what goes in the Name field without just saying “Enter the name” is a real mind-boggler!
|
Advice Home Business Technology Online Advertising Motivational Internet Marketing SEO Help Online Games Science Articles Happiness More Articles:1. Why Are Rolex So Expensive? Summary: They are looking primarily to ensure the watch will maintain reliability under the most extreme of conditions. Once COSC have approved the watch it returns to Rolex for further quality control testing. This is the self-winding movement used solely by Rolex for their watches and it takes over a year to construct each one. Finally, Rolex carry out their own intensive testing on the watch before it is sent to be sold. This testing places the watch in extreme conditions of temperature, dept… 2. Controlling and Reducing COGS with aPriori Improves Margins Summary: According to Frank Azzolino, President and CEO of aPriori, 'Costs related to materials, labor, and logistics are more predictable and available more quickly and accurately than ever before with aPriori.' Azzolino notes that, 'aPriori enables designers, manufacturing engineers and planners, purchasing and sourcing professionals, cost managers, program and project management, and senior management to make better decisions to reduce, avoid, and recover product costs.' The aPriori Cost Man… 3. Perimeter Security - Magal Intelli-FLEX� Summary:Perimeter Security - Magal Intelli-FLEX' Outdoor Detection System Perimeter Security Magal's new Intelli-FLEX' outdoor detection system is based on signals generated by the minute flexing of a proprietary triboelectric coaxial sensor cable. The Intelli-FLEX Signal Processor can monitor two independent zones, each with a maximum of 305 m (1000 ft.) of sensor cable to provide maximum perimeter security. Programmable Microprocessor - Perimeter Security The Magal perimeter security has a p… 4. Customise your Mobile Phone for Free Summary: Hundreds of companies now offer you the ability to pay to download Games, Ringtones, Mobile Phone Wallpapers, Mobile Phone Screensavers, Operator Logos and more to your Mobile Phone.Charges can vary but wherever you purchase them from, the costs will rapidly mount up if you like to update your phone often.There are utilities available via the web that will allow you to create your own mid files (Ringtones) and you can use any paint package to resize your favourite picture into the forma… |
||||
