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I ask people to add me as a watcher on tasks that they think require
documentation. I also skim tasks and add myself to the watch list if I
see a doc issue. Then I get email when the change is checked in to the
main branch and know I can test and document it.
I sometimes create documentation tasks such as "provide information on
<new feature> for docs," set the "fix version" to the upcoming
release, and assign them to the appropriate developer. That way they
show up on the list of open tasks when we get close to release.
Sometimes these are subtasks of a dev task, more often they're
standalone.
Sometimes I add a comment asking the developer to assign the task to
me when they're done.
On Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 1:04 PM, Shawn <shawn -at- cohodata -dot- com> wrote:
> Kevin (et al),
>
> I noticed that you mentioned "Jira" and "documentation" in a single
> thought. Kind of a rarity, it seems.
>
> I changed the subject so that I am not hijacking the other thread. :)
>
> Being the sole tech writer in a hard-core Linux engineering team, Jira is
> pretty central to all the development work here. Unfortunately, the current
> Jira configuration doesn't really meet my documentation workflow
> requirements. Additionally, I have found very little about this subject on
> the Web.
>
> Can you/anyone offer advice (or web URLs) on how best to use Jira for
> technical writing?
>
> Thank you,
> Shawn
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 23, 2014 at 12:00 PM, McLauchlan, Kevin <
> Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com> wrote:
>
>> Starting from a history of waterfall-ish development, and after more than
>> two years in-progress, we are in water-agile-fall(**), trying to get to
>> agile, and one outcome of that is that EVERY new thing I add to the docs is
>> supposed to be captured as some kind of Jira issue (story, bug, task...).
>>
>> So, I never used to ask permission, and now I still don't, directly, but
>> the indirect effect is that that's how it now works.
>> I have (as we say around here) a whack of issues in my backlog that aren't
>> assigned to any sprint, that aren't supposed to be implemented unless I've
>> got nothing to do. That doesn't happen, of course.
>>
>> In reality, they'll get snuck into a DOC sprint that we writers are
>> assigning to ourselves, packed among structural and other sanctioned
>> stories and issues. But I thought I'd check which way the winds blow for
>> the rest of y'all*. :-)
>>
>> (*I'm not southern - I just like to say "y'all" sometimes)
>> (**actually, some product teams, here, are frighteningly agile, while
>> others are still getting onboard - I'm in two that are at different places
>> along that spectrum; if I had rhythm, you could call what I do "dancing"...
>> but no )
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: techwr-l-bounces+kevin -dot- mclauchlan=safenet-inc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+kevin.mclauchlan=
>> safenet-inc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Mike Starr
>> Sent: June-20-14 6:39 PM
>> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>> Subject: Re: What is not mandated is forbidden
>>
>> I never ask permission to put something into a document that can not only
>> help the user but help reduce support queries. If you ask permission,
>> you're just telling them to say no. Had you just put it in there chances
>> are good it wouldn't have been flagged as "out of spec".
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>> Mike
>> --
>> Mike Starr, Writer
>> Technical Writer - Online Help Developer - WordPress Websites
>> Graphic Designer - Desktop Publisher - Custom Microsoft Word templates
>> (262) 694-1028 - mike -at- writestarr -dot- com - http://www.writestarr.com
>> President - Working Writers of Wisconsin http://www.workingwriters.org/
>>
>> On 6/19/2014 12:14 PM, McLauchlan, Kevin wrote:
>> > Does everyone subscribe to the notion that customer docs should contain
>> only what is necessary?
>>
>
> --
> *Shawn Connelly*
> Technical writer
>
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