RE: RE: re Somewhat OT: Tech Writers vs. other writers

["GeneK" <gene -at- genek -dot- com>]

This may be true for end-user docs, but simpler user
interfaces more often than not have more complex workings 
underneath them than ever.  So while the user guide for
various types of "user-friendly" technology may be
leaner or even non-existent, the system docs are usually
massively larger and more complex than ever before.  
I can remember, for example, working on a DOS app that had 
a 300 page user guide but whose API docs were xeroxes of
50 pages of single-spaced notes.  That same app still exists
in a barely recognizable evolved version of its former
self; it now comes with a 500k .chm help file and has 
over 5000 pages of API docs.  The company has 5 writers 
compared to the one it had in the old days.

Gene Kim-Eng


------- Original Message -------
On
Thu, 15 May 2003 11:35:58 -0400 Mark Baker?wrote:

Immature technology require lots of documentation because
it has poor interfaces and lacks automation of many of its functions. As interfaces improve and internal functions 
are automated, the need for documentation drops. 

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