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RE: Documenting field descriptions in printed documentation
Subject:RE: Documenting field descriptions in printed documentation From:John Posada <JPosada -at- book -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 18 Sep 2002 08:14:28 -0400
>> But these are style issues, which are by nature arbitrary. The simplest
>> way (IMO) to resolve style issues is to select ONE person to be your
>> team's style nazi. That person's rule should be absolute. Do what they
>> say, and don't argue. Shut up and write.
>
>Well, so much for collegiality, working out our differences, team building,
and
>harmonious work relationships. Sure, you can do it that way, if the style
guru has
>the necessary support and can stand the constant sniping at every decision.
I still
>think a better way is to hash it out in a group and put the decisions into
a style
>guide that everyone agrees to follow.
>
>When you have to work together toward a common goal, you can do it in a
tyranny for
>awhile, but not over the long haul.
Sometimes collegiality, working out our differences, team building, and
harmonious work relationships are counter-productive, especially at deadline
crunch time. Sometimes, decisions need to be made RIGHT NOW. By then, if you
haven't established that environment where they know that the decision isn't
arbitrary, nothing at that point will create it.
Those concepts are the same as the situation of "my yearly review is coming
next week. What can I do to earn a good review?"
If you haven't established it daily for the periods when you really need it,
then you've never established it. Doing all that team-touchy-feely stuff is
something you do all year and because you do it, when it comes to crunch
time, the team understand why someone makes those quick decisions without
committees of consultation.
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Barnes&Noble.com
jposada -at- book -dot- com
212-414-6656
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