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Re: Tech Documentation info to Developers and QA

Subject: Re: Tech Documentation info to Developers and QA
From: Anthony Davey <ant -at- ant-davey -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 10:31:50 +0000


Pooja,

Putting my not-suffering-fools head on again, I'd say you didn't do anything wrong in asking the developers for feedback. Reverse the point they made: it's their job to produce a user-friendly GUI, but they didn't do it, so how can they be sure the you've produced accurate documentation, unless they check it?

I'd be inclined to give your existing document to the QA team and get them to run through the processes. Tell them to use the guide, as it is written, to try to complete a process. That's how you do testing (well one way). When they come back saying that they were able to complete the task, but the UI wasn't too easy to use, you have an arguement to go back to the developers with. At the same time you may get some useful feedback from 'users' about your documentation.

Best regards and good luck,
Ant

Pooja Malhotra wrote:

Hi everyone,

I am the only technical writer in our organization and facing some
problems when dealing with developers and QA team. They have their
predefined ways of doing things and so do not give ear to what I say
concerning documentation. Every time, I have to explain the
documentation process to them and still is ignored. For example, the GUI
of one of the software was not User-friendly and so I asked them to make
some changes. But I was refused straight away and was asked to document
the same. Because of the unfriendliness of the labels and terms used, I
was facing problems in documenting things. After finishing, when I asked
them to review the doc, they got pretty annoyed with me. As per them,
writing is my department and I must write accurately and should not ask
them for reviews. Did I do anything wrong by asking them to test the doc
for its technical correctness?

I have been asked to give a presentation to the QA team, where in I can
explain them the fundamentals and keys tips to test a document against
the software.




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References:
Tech Documentation info to Developers and QA: From: Pooja Malhotra

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