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You've received a lot of good advice from the plethora of competent people
here. I just want to offer my support and condolences. I also want to share
the thought that while you will be able to put *something* together in this
abbreviated timeline, and while you will not have any sort of life for those
two weeks, because what you will create will not have the benefit of any
significant review process, the end result cannot possibly reflect the
quality of the product itself (no matter how good you are).
When you complete what you can, that is the message that you should take
back to product management. Diplomatically, of course.
Their actions suggest that what you do is "just" writing. They can do it.
They will probably claim that they can write many pages a day. They do not
understand that documentation is developed, not written.
You've seen people here explain the process of good information design:
gathering knowledge of user information needs, designing information to meet
those needs, reviews by SMEs, good editing for clarity, consistency, etc.,
testing all the docs, and final production, all running parallel to, not at
the end of, the devlopment cycle.
yes, you'll put togethre a doc that they will likely be happy with. They
probably don't know that it could be so much better, not because you're not
competent (because of course you are), but because the documentation
development process (not just the out-and-out writing) is what's critical to
make the docs equal in quality to the product.
You might also find and point out reviews of various products where the
reviews take off points for poor docs. Explain that poor docs are the result
of no documentation process.
Of course, they might not care. Until you go to them, you won't know whether
their approach, their decisions, are based on ignorance or apathy. You have
to hope that it's the formar, and that education, applied judiciously, will
result in positive changes for the future.
--
--
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
<dan -dot- gallagher -at- pulsartech -dot- com> wrote in message news:237636 -at- techwr-l -dot- -dot- -dot-
My employer has been developing a new multi-processor controlled comm. box
for over a year now. I repeatedly asked and prodded them regarding my
documentation duties to no avail. I've tried to talk with developers and
engineers about the product during it's development to try and learn about
it.
Now I get this email from my boss's protoge saying they need a new manual
for this very complex box in two weeks. I don't think I can produce a
manual for this thing in two weeks. I haven't said anything to them yet
though, I'm waiting to hear from you all.
(not crying or whining) I find it somewhat inequitable that everyone on the
team had unlimited time to work on their parts, but then I get two weeks.
Pardon me but I'm a little ticked off right now. I'll do the best I can but
I don't think I can guarantee a manual within two weeks.
If I'm wrong correct me, but please tell me something. I'm an amateur and
quite isolated except for this list.
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