TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
On 6/13/00 10:43 PM, Jason A. Czekalski (topsidefarm -at- mva -dot- net) wrote:
>Mike, I think you have this backwards. I have to agree with Stephen
>MacDonald on this one. In my experience, when good prcesses were in
>place, information seems to flow to the appropriate places at the
>appropriate times. SME's don't have to spoon feed me, and I don't waste
>time chasing them.
I have nothing backwards. I'm simply stating my opinion that the
process-obsessed projects I've worked on in the past would have solved
most of their problems by dumping some process and focusing more on
content, which all of the processes weren't helping them produce.
Content, in my experience, is produced by writers who are intrinsically
or are encouraged to be interested, curious, and involved in learning
about their products, and who don't wait to have things handed to them in
functional specs or product sheets.
Should there be processes in place? Sure. But focus on the content first.
Without that, you're wasting your time.