Re: Getting the programmers to come to you

[David Castro <techwrtr -at- CRL -dot- COM>]

At 02:28 PM 3/12/97 -0400, Gillian McGarvey wrote:

>Is anyone else on the list bewildered by the fact that so many of us
>      suggest that we actually BRIBE programmers to do what should be part
>      of their job and give us the info we need to document the software?
>      Isn't it the job of management to instill a higher value of
>      documentation into programmers/developers and construct processes
>      that implement it?  Aren't we just re-enforcing programmers'
>      lackadaisical attitude when it comes to working WITH tech writers by
>      coddling them with snacks?
>
>
>
>
>Or am I just in the wrong profession?  :-)

Sure, we *shouldn't* have to. We *shouldn't* have to do a lot of what we
do. Tracking down changes in the way the program works, looking for the
right person to answer your question, creating branch pages in your help
file because the programmers can't seem to figure out how to choose ID
numbers from the range indicated (my personal peeve). But, we have to,
nonetheless. The more ways we can find to solve these problems, the faster
we can get our documents completed.

Let me put it this way...are you likely to change the way programmers do
things? Most likely not. So, when you can't change the situation, adapt!


-David Castro
 techwrtr -at- crl -dot- com
 http://www.crl.com/~techwrtr

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