Writing doc for open source software (was Help Needed -- Build Your Portfolio)

["Janet Swisher" <swisher -at- enthought -dot- com>]

John -dot- Gilger -at- snwa -dot- com wrote:
>For those who would like to develop a portfolio, learn cutting edge
>applications (or more established mature apps), you assistance is needed.
>The following is an extract from a conversation on another list:
>-----------------------------------------------
>As noted in past articles, it is my experience that proprietary software
>products are MUCH better documented than open source (with a good example
>found in Microsoft's MSDN web site). I propose that this is due to the
>volunteer nature of most open source software development. Volunteers tend
>to contribute the kind of work they find interesting, and take it from me,
>developers HATE documentation. I hate documentation, and I write articles
>on a regular basis.
>from this article.
>http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107_2-5210765.html
>I venture to say that responding by how bad MS documentation is a waste of
>time even if true.=A0 But perhaps the open source community could recruit
>English majors to write documentation.=A0 And if you can get an English
major
>to understand the functionality you can probably get anybody to.=A0 (they
are
>smart, just not technical)=A0 Also, by giving their names prominent display
>some may even volunteer.

I'm interesting in having a discussion of writing documentation for open
source software (OSS). Why does it seem that there are so few tech writers
participating in OSS? Yes, we have day jobs working on other projects, but
so do most programmers who develop OSS. Why are there so many OSS
programmers, and (proportionately) so few OSS tech writers?

I currently work for a company that produces OSS, and then sells consulting
to build custom solutions with it. I find myself spending most of my time on
client projects, while the OSS documentation is low priority. So, even
though documenting OSS is part of my job, I do very little of it. I find
this prioritization appropriate and yet somewhat ironic.

I'd like to hear from those of you who actually have spent significant time
working on OSS projects. (Bruce Byfield, I'm thinking of you.) 

What got you into it? 
How do you make time for it? 
What suggestions do you have for tech writers who are interested in getting
involved in OSS? 

(A colleague and I have discussed writing an article on this topic for
_Intercom_, or a similar outlet, so you might be quoted, with permission and
credit.)


-------------------------
Janet Swisher
Senior Technical Writer
Enthought, Inc.
1-512-536-1057



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