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If you are a Tech Writer who attends developer
meetings, do you feel it is worth your time? As a
Technical Writer, the primary thing that I need is a
comprehensive integrated understanding of WHAT the
software does for the end-user.
However, it has always been my experience that such is
never talked about at developer meetings. Instead,
the conversation is inevitably a disjointed discussion
on HOW the system works. Even though, most often, the
requirements (i.e., the WHATs) are supposed to be the
main topic.
After attending developer meetings, I always have to
try to abstract an integrated WHAT out of this
disjointed HOW. This is not a productive excercise.
I have dealt with such in numerous organizations. I
have, in the main, worked with degreed developers
from good schools, so I kind of find it hard to
believe that there are some "special" companies who,
somehow, have conquered this issue. But I may be
wrong. Maybe there is a far away land where everyone
is nice, open, honest, and logical.
Thanks,
Tony Markos
--- sueahrenhold -at- ameritech -dot- net wrote:
> .....Then, the NEXT time the PM is working on a
project,
> I go right over and
> ask to be included in the development meetings -
> maybe not the first one,
> but as the product evolves, I want to be there. If
> he forgets me, I
> forgive him, but carefully walk him through what I
> need and WHY I've asked
> to be included. I make sure that the programmer(s)
> know that I'm part of
> the project.
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