TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I consider it part of my professional ethics to leave clear
documentation for those who will follow. Most of us have picked up a
project where someone unnecessarily left us a mystery... or a mess.
To be clear, I'm not just talking about predecessors and successors. Ten
years from now, the poor schmuck who has to figure out what I was doing
this week might well be me.
Happy Wednesday!
- Dan Goldstein
P.S.: I try to avoid the "hit-by-a-truck" scenario. Instead, I always
say to my colleagues whose work I document: "If you were to win the
lottery tomorrow and move to Hawaii, what would the rest of us need to
know?"
-----Original Message-----
From: McLauchlan, Kevin
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 4:22 PM
To: Dan Goldstein; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: document your job?
That's a throw-away comment unless you elaborate.
> From: Dan Goldstein
>
> Yes: Professional ethics.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Editor in Chief
> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 3:32 PM
>
> ... Is there a good reason, from the writer perspective, to pull all
> the documentation for such an environment together in one place, one
> document? Without the carrot/stick of ISO preparation looming?...
>
This message contains confidential information intended only for the use of the addressee(s). If you are not the addressee, or the person responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you are hereby notified that reading, disseminating, distributing, copying, electronic storing or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message by mistake, please notify us, by replying to the sender, and delete the original message immediately thereafter. Thank you.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help. Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need.
Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.