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Gay Reed started this topic at the end of another topic, and I was hoping
to get some more responses to it (many thanks to those of you who already
related your experiences).
The question is: how do you handle long-distance projects, that is,
projects for clients who are too far away to visit on a regular (say
weekly) basis?
Possible scenario: You are writing either a hard-copy manual or online
help for a software application. The developer sends you updates of the
software as electronic files, and you send copies of the documentation
for review as electronic files. Whenever you have questions, you send an
email or telephone them.
I have been successful at doing this with a local client -- after the
initial meeting, we communicated solely by email. It worked really well,
mostly because his answers to my questions were in writing. Now I am
considering approaching other potential clients with a similar
arrangement, but I'd like to know what experiences others have had first.
The major issues that jump out (at me) are:
*) Do you need to have at least one meeting in the initial stages in
order to have someone go over the software with you in person?
*) How do you make sure the development team remembers you and remembers
to send you timely updates and information?
*) What do you do if you can't run their software on your own computer?
*) How do developers view this arrangement if you suggest it to them?
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Janet
---
Janet L. Manry
The BioEditing Clinic
bioedit -at- concentric -dot- net
Lafayette, Indiana
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