RE: Should software documenters learn to read code?

["Downing, David" <DavidDowning -at- users -dot- com>]

Sp I guess the answer is, "Do it, but only if you know what to do with
it."

-----Original Message-----
From: John Posada [mailto:jposada99 -at- gmail -dot- com] 
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 10:46 AM
To: Downing, David
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Should software documenters learn to read code?

> Agreed, that's a potential benefit. I'm just thinking there's a
potential danger to go with that benefit.

You mean "Luke..beware of the Darkside."?

Maybe if the tech writer isn't skilled. Those types of writers don't
know the difference between what they should explain and what they
shouldn't, so they try to put on paper everything they know and
everything the developer tells them.

A skilled technical writer puts on paper what they know the user
should know and perhaps more importantly, doesn't include what the
user doesn't need to know. Because the capable writer knows that there
is something that is only of interest to development doesn't mean that
the writer will include it.

That's why companies who hire writers only on rate end up getting the
lowest quality deliverable. What they are getting instead is a
transcription machine that takes lunch and misspells words.

-- 
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
NYMetro STC President

Looking for the next gig.
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