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Subject:RE: Fear and Loathing at the Job Site From:eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 8 May 2003 12:57:30 -0400
>>Well, the work of programmers/developers can be quickly seen or judged to be
>>successful or acceptable. It isn't as easy for technical writers. Many
>>companies don't even care about good documentation--or know what it is.
Neither
>>do a lot of "technical writers" either.
I'd have to disagree. Most managers and project leads don't have a clue what's
"under the hood". As long as the code is good enough, it ships. The only level
to which many (most?) programmers are held by their employers is 'acceptable'.
Just the same as writers. As long as the customers aren't complaining too
loudly, all is fine in the world.
There are no doubt as many (percentage wise) programmers getting away with poor,
shoddy code as there are writers doing the same with bad documentation. In both
cases they're getting away with it for the same reasons. Either the customer has
yet to stumble across the short-comings, or they have been found but management
doesn't put a high priority on eliminating the problem at the source.
All my programming aquaintences have stories about the idiots they've worked
with. But none of them are complaining that the idiots devalue their
contribution or damage the 'programming brotherhood'.
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