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.
Subject:Re: Documentation plan? From:Ad absurdum per aspera <JTCHEW -at- LBL -dot- GOV> Date:Wed, 1 Dec 1993 20:15:31 GMT
> How can you know how many pages/figures/screens until you are done?
A documentation plan isn't carved in stone; it's a road map,
a template, an agreement in principle. Estimating these
things implies some understanding of what the product does
and how you intend to explain it. Note that, contrary to
some experiences we've all had, "estimate" does not mean
"specify" -- but doesn't mean "suck out of your thumb" either.
Things will change. The product will sprout new features;
good ideas for improving the documentation will occur to you;
the only person in the department who really groks PageMaker
will lose a hard disk; so-and-so from Engineering will make
a small change in the user interface graphics that renders
every screen shot obsolete; such is life. But if you start
with a well-thought-out plan, you've always got a basis for
adapting to the changes and coping with their impact.
Cheers,
Joe
"The only way to deal with bureaucrats is with stealth and sudden
violence."
UN Secretary General Boutros-Ghali, quoted in the 10-15-93 New York Times
