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Re: Ready to Scream

Subject: Re: Ready to Scream
From: quills -at- airmail -dot- net
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 23:21:04 -0500


At 3:20 PM -0700 4/17/02, Andrew Plato wrote:

"Tamara Reyes-Muralles" <> wrote

I have a question for the technical writers on this group that have built
many
Help systems. Have you been asked to document just the application? Have you
been asked to add operational/desk procedures in the Help? What
about the company's business and business rules?

He/she who signs the paycheck makes the rules.

Sounds to me like you need to refocus on making your customer happy and less on
meeting planning deadlines and milestones.

Andrew Plato

Yes, but the question earlier indicated that there were multiple "users" giving conflicting desires/feedback.

When you serve many masters you will never make any of them happy. If they don't know what they are doing, the "expert staff" (the tech writer) has to advise on what should be, or can be done.

If you miss your deadlines, can't produce a product that makes the customer happy, because the customer is fragmented, doesn't have a clue about what they want or need, or the time required for their product to be completed, and you haven't tried to help refine that for them, you have failed in your job. The fault might be at their doorstep, but it doesn't help the writer.

Of course, if they want it bad, give it to them bad, just make sure that they sign off accepting it without reservation.

GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). If they want crap, then shovel it in thickly.

Scott

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References:
Re: Ready to Scream: From: Andrew Plato

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