Re: What is there before "Draft"?

["Chuck Martin" <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com>]

>"John Posada" <JPosada -at- isogon -dot- com> wrote in message news:232782 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
>
>A couple of weeks ago, I worked out with the Project Manager that my doc
>set would be reviewed three times before GA. These review milestones are
>called:
>
>1st Draft - 6/1
>QA Draft - 7/1
>Beta Draft - 8/1
>GA 9/1
>
>The idea was that for each cycle, they have two weeks to review and I
>have two weeks to make the changes.

Such a luxurious schedule....

> Understand that at the time, I hadn't created any documentation.
>
>Well. Now I have...2 1/2 months ahead of schedule and it's starting to
>get reviewed...much to my dismay.

Dismay? This is a Good Thing. The more things that get caught early (not
that I'd expect many), the fewer hours you'll be frantically putting in at
deadline.

>We don't want to change the name "1st Draft" because until then, the
>application itself won't be "baked" and the content will be too
>fluid...in other words, we don't want the document taken too seriously
>because I'm writing my documents from their documents (don't ask).
>
>The question is what do I call it?
>
>I like "Baseline[date]", with the date every other Friday at which time
>I'll have a new version.
>
>Suggestions?

Well, my first thought is: Why do you *have* to call it anything?

My second though is: "Unfinished business."

My third thought is (assuming we're talking about engieering reviewers): Use
a language they'll understand: Version numbers. 0.01, 0.0112, 0.02, etc. Put
low version numbers next to the date field that I'm sure you have in the
header or footer. That'll allow them and you to make sure you're working
with the most recent interim versions.


-- 
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net      www.writeforyou.com

"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day
may come when the courage of Men fail,  when we forsake our friends and
break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day! This day, we fight!"
                    - Aragorn

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
                    - Gandalf



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