FWD: How is documentation distributed with your application?

[TECHWR-L Administrator <admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com>]

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My company like to distribute the documentation after the code and
testing has been completed. I have been striving to change this
mentality and get the documentation released with the application.
However, there is a great deal of resistance to this. The application is
released to manufacturing (RTM) and before it goes out to customers, the
documentation is completed. However, there is always a “catch up”
situation going on and the documentation is proof-read but not always
thoroughly tested.

At present some documentation is released with the product and the
remaining documentation is obtained by downloading the documentation
from the company’s website. I think this means that customers do not
always have the up to date versions of the documentation and the
documentation is not always in the folder structure which is required to
use Adobe Catalog.

My questions to you all are as follows:


1.       Does your company release the documentation with the
    application or after the application has been completed?

2.       How do customers obtain documentation ?

   a.       With the application
   b.      From the company’s website
   c.       A combination of a. and b.
   d.      Other

3.       Is it reasonable to expect the documentation to be distributed 
at the same time as the application?


Thanks for your time.



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