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Re: Value added by technical documentation; counting blessings
Subject:Re: Value added by technical documentation; counting blessings From:"Nyman, Rikki" <Rikki -dot- Nyman -at- ALLIEDSIGNAL -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 7 Mar 1997 16:19:00 -0700
"Before we all get too crazed on how underappreciated we are and how
know
one listens to us, I'd like to say that it isn't always that way.
Although the head honchos at my company are probably as oblivious of my
presence as at any corporation, I have to say that my programmers are
*GREAT*. Some of them actually ASK me to go through their UIs and
submit a list of changes, suggestions, rewordings, etc. All of them at
least listen when I barge into their offices with ideas about changing
"geekspeak" to English--and they aren't offended."
I get to start working on my first online doc project Monday. The few
screens I have seen have some very strange names and very cryptic
meanings; they will require a lot of explanation just so the user can
understand them. The other technical writer says the programmers
bristle when they think you are questioning their UI design. My
question is, how can I guide them effectively in at least correcting
some of the more glaring oddities without alienating them? Toys,
pizza? What?
Rikki
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