RE: Documentation Correctness was Re: How many levels of indents andheads are reasonable?

["Tariel, Lauren R" <lt34 -at- saclink -dot- csus -dot- edu>]

Alrighty Generic,
 
Once again you are making nonsense.  Here is what you say:
 
* "Correct" documentation requires "rigorous analysis."  

* "Rigorous analysis" includes "identifying the essential tasks to be performed and, most importantly, the interrelationships between the tasks."

* "Nobody" discusses "rigorous analysis."

* So, "incorrect documentation is pretty much gauranteed. [sic]"
 
Following the premises that you present can only lead to the conclusion that *all* technical documents are incorrect because "nobody" uses "rigorous analysis."  Really?
 
You do not define "rigorous analysis," but apparently it is different than the analysis that the rest of us perform, although the requirements of analysis that you mention are a part of the analysis that the rest of us perform everyday.  Somehow, in your head, failing to do things your way guarantees incorrect documentation.  So you must have some great job security because you are the only one doing things right.   I would really love to see your work.  Does it possess the same quality as your posts?  
 
Do you really think that you will win admirers by coming onto a technical writing forum and then insulting all technical writers for doing things wrong?
 
Lauren
 
-----------------------------------
 
    Richard Lewis responds:    It is easy to tell a TW to be correct, but, if that is as far as it goes, it is nothing.   Being correct means having performed a rigorous analysis.   Such analysis is based on identifying the essential tasks to be performed and, most importantly, the interrelationships between the tasks.   Unfortunately, nobody within the TW community - either in academia or industry - has discussed this.  So incorrect documentation is pretty much gauranteed.    Generic Richard
 
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