Re: anyone else in the same boat?

[John Posada <jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

> (1) I feel my duty is to the users. If a client wants documentation
> that ignores the users' needs (and that's how I define swill), my
> instinct is to fight that. Good documentation benefits the client,
> whether they understand that or not.

I responded to this a few miniutes ago with a rather flip comment,
and while I hold to that comment, I'd like to make a more serious
response.

This response comes from a contractor perspective.

In most cases, when I am brought into a contract, the drill goes as
follows. This will be based on my most recent contract, but many
contracts are similar:

The requirement is to write a help system (turns out to be almost
1,000 topics) for a rather complex application still in a rough Beta
version form. It is May, 2000, and the application is to go out the
end of Sept of the same year.

1) Spend first week clicking the buttons, dropping down the menus,
entering data in fields, comparing with existing documentation, and
asking anybody available why something happens, why it doesn't, what
caused error messages, and pretty much getting on a first name basis
with the company, the application, and the developers. 

2) Spend most of the first weekend reading Functional Specs, notes,
manuals, anything I can get my hands on in paper form.

In my case, I now go on a week vacation to Hedo II that I had
scheduled and payed for prior to to coming to the contract (client
was informed of this during the initial interview).

3) Come in Monday, crank up RoboHelp, and start writing. Create an
expected outline that I know will change/evolve, create topics that I
know will change/evolve, start writing content that I know will
change/evolve in a style that I know will change/evolve.

Now, I could go on , describing the process of writing, but in less
than 25% of the time do I get to meet the end users, let alone
consult them and study them. I get my understanding of the users from
my client, from my understanding of that type of user based on
previous contracts, and from my use of the application (be the ball).


My client, who pays my bill, says "I want you to write your help
content in an instructional, narrative style" (Let me tell you the
story of a man named Jeb...) and I believe in the procedural style
(step 1, step 2, step 3, results). However, my client says that for
their users who they have been working with for several years, they
believe and pervceive that their way is better. (Oh, and BTW...they
want all the content wording in Hunter Green and the headings in Lime
Green to match the company color.

Fast forward six months. I hand in my work, in the procedural style
that I prefer, in black text. It is a great help application and will
get anyone through any situation they find themselves in. It could
even win an STC award if I bothered (and were a member).

Oh, no...the client says:

1) You haven't done it my way.
2) You went against my wishes
3) I'm not paying your bill.
4) I "PERCEIVE and BELIEVE" that what you've delivered is wrong and I
cannot deliver my product.
5) I need to lay off 25% of my work force because my product is late.
6) I'm contacting my lawyer.

Who won? Who was right? Am I sleeping any better?

Now, in my case, I was able to convince the person I reported to,
that my way was the right way and they let me do it that way
(BTW...they never asked for the content in green). However, if they
had, I would have done it their way (they would have been happy), my
checks would clear (my girlfriend would be happy), and I would
consider this a successful contract.

Am I an insult to the tech writing field?

=====
John Posada, Senior Technical Writer
"How to be happy in life: Never impose your beliefs
on anyone else and never fry bacon in the nude."
 -- Anon
mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com, 732-259-2874

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY.
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

          Sponsored by an
 anonymous satisfied subscriber since 1994.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.