Re: YOU are responsible, even when YOU are not to blame
Jan Henning responded:
Rubbish. It has been repeatedly pointed out that, e.g., if a product
changes after the documentation has to be finished, the inaccuracy is
not the responsibility of the writer. (Unless of course he or she was
also hired as a clairvoyant.)
May I take a whack at a counter-argument?
You may, but IMHO it doesn't connect :-)
What you describe is a scenario where the writer can see beforehand that there will be a change after he or she has to finish the documentation. You suggest (as far as I understood) that the writer should notify the powers that be of the problem in the project meetings.
I fully agree. However, there are two significant cases that are not covered by this:
- If the managers (i.e., those that make the decisions) do not listen to the writer's suggestions, there isn't much a writer can do, no matter how resposible he or she feels.
- In cases where the late changes are not penciled into the project plan, the writer cannot even warn of the problem.
These two occurences are by no means far-fetched. Unless the actual circumstances of a particular project are known, I therefore feel that it is unfounded to categorically assign responsibility for discrepancies between documentation and product to the writer.
The writer may be responsible. Then again, as shown above, he or she may not.
Regards
Jan Henning
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Jan Henning
ROSEMANN & LAURIDSEN GMBH
Am Schlossberg 14, D-82547 Eurasburg, Germany
Phone: +49 700 0200 0700, Fax: +49 8179 9307-12
E-Mail: henning -at- r-l -dot- de, Web: www.r-l.de
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References:
Re: YOU are responsible, even when YOU are not to blame: From: Paul Strasser
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