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.
Re: Question: saving or storing comments and info from SMEs
Subject:Re: Question: saving or storing comments and info from SMEs From:Janice Gelb <janiceg -at- MARVIN -dot- ENG -dot- SUN -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 9 Jul 1998 08:57:08 -0700
Gayle Hoffman wrote:
>
> Question: Do you save or store hard copy or online review comments and
> info from SMEs? If yes, then how or for how long?
>
> We have the typical, difficult and stubborn SMEs, programmers and support
> people, who have been reviewing hard copies of the user manuals and
> we are trying to get them to write their comments down or use insert
> comments in Word. I have been keeping these because sometimes they
> say we have not done the needed editing. It also makes it possible
> to keep records of who said what. It can also show how much or how
> often changes have been made to the same chapter/modules during the
> documentation cycle.
>
I'd keep them until the next release of the software so that you
have evidence of SME feedback in case of increased support calls
and so on.
> What do you do if they refuse to write down their comments or use the
> online editing features? We also continuously have the problem they
> start making the changes in the documents themselves or MISusing our
> templates and destroying our layout and style by cutting and pasting
> from our documents. Their justification is that we don't have time
> to do everything they are demanding at the moment they are demanding
> it. How would you handle these SME 'crimes'? I am thinking about
> password protecting all our files from now on because they are
> interrupting the overall documentation process and cycle by doing
> this.
>
I would absolutely not allow anyone but the writers or editors
access to your documents. Sounds to me like you need to sit down
with them, their management, and your management to work out a
better process if the SMEs feel you don't have time to incorporate
changes they feel are necessary, and you feel your work is being
butchered.
********************************************************************************
Janice Gelb | The only connection Sun has with this
janice -dot- gelb -at- eng -dot- sun -dot- com | message is the return address. http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8018/index.html
********************************************************************************
