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Subject:documentation and cmm? From:Maaike Groenewege <mgr -at- MEDIASYS -dot- NL> Date:Mon, 22 Feb 1999 11:02:03 +0100
Dear all
Here's a big thank you to all that replied, both to me personally and to the
list; it's good to know that I'm not the only one around in this situation.
I should have mentioned that I already found a copy of Hackos in the desk of
my predecessor (thanks for pointing it out to me anyway Jeroen!). I've
scanned it very quickly (will read it when I have more time), and what I've
seen so far made me very happy!
I got the impression, however (correct me if I'm wrong), that the document
development process it describes is a linear one, whereas our software
development process is a cyclical, iterative one, much more like what Sean
and Beth described in their posts. In my company too, some "already
implemented organizational infrastructures" do exist, especially when it
comes to software development. So, for the products that are currently being
developed or will be so in the near future, I'll try their approach.
Still, the development process as described in Hackos is very useful for
handling one of my other concerns: the huge documentation backlog, a long
list of manuals that have never been written but should be produced
sometime. These documents are not linked to a software development project
any longer, so it doesn't matter how their production is planned, as long as
it is planned.
Mike: I understand your point, and luckily the "oh, yeah - I guess we need
documentation" problem is not a company attitude problem in my case--more a
lack of overview problem. The company I work for has been developing so
rapidly that process and structure were pretty much absent everywhere, not
just in the documentation department. Still, things are changing now, and
documentation is seen as an integral part of this change.
Everybody who wanted to know: Maaike is a girl's name :o))
Please do keep sending your experiences, they're very helpful, a lot of fun
to read, and a cool way of meeting people.
Maaike Groenewege
Tech Writer
Mediasystemen b.v., a Triple P company
Bloemendaal
The Netherlands
