Re: FW: Need input

[Sharon Burton-Hardin <sharonburton -at- EMAIL -dot- MSN -dot- COM>]

Yesterday the other writer and I had a come to Jesus meeting with the person
acting as project manager - note there is no project manager, which has
caused many of these sorts of problems - and explained what was possible.

We explained that they could have the manual in moments if they were willing
to give up certain things - like consecutive page numbering. Or, with a
little notice, they could have the following things and then we listed them
in order of time. Then we explained that doing each of these things also
meant that we wouldn't be working on other stuff. What do the execs want?

They really think that if someone who knows computers opens Frame, it should
be easy. I explained that I teach Frame and it take 5 weeks to get smart
people to get the basics and then one of us writers would have to spend a
week working with the person to get them up to speed on what we specifically
are doing and how. And that time was all billable and meant that we can't
work on other stuff. What do they want?

Regardless of what they want, they must set up one computer - as we were
promised a month ago - with all the right stuff or the entire conversation
is moot. Without Frame, fonts, Distiller, Exchange, etc, none of this can
occur. Then they must not use this machine as the accounting server or send
it on the road or use it for training.

She is talking to the execs and we will see. I am not walking (yet) but I am
very irritated. May not work for them again unless we change how things
work. Dynamic is one thing, hourly changing your mind is another.

sharon

Sharon Burton-Hardin
President of the Inland Empire chapter of the STC
www.iestc.org
Anthrobytes Consulting
Home of RoboNEWS(tm), the unofficial RoboHELP newsletter
www.anthrobytes.com
Check out www.WinHelp.net!
See www.sharonburton.com!

----- Original Message -----
From: Lynn Perry <CLPerry -at- WALLDATA -dot- COM>
To: <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, 11 May, 1999 12:40 PM
Subject: FW: Need input


| Sharon Burton-Hardin wrote:
| <snip>
| However, it does take about 6 hours to go from a bunch of chapters in a
book
| file with the wrong graphics and incorrect page numbers, incorrect
chapters
| numbers, etc to a clean looking PDF. I can show several years of this
| process for this client and the hours it takes. About 6 hours. This need a
| manual at the drop of a hat is new and was not planned for. Needless to
say,
| </snip>
|
| What a terrible state! I know how demoralizing it can be to have people be
| unreasonably demanding and having constantly changing product and
| deliverables. All of mine have been as an employee, however, so I had a
lot
| more leverage than you do.
|
| I think Tom Brophy's comments might be the most helpfu. The comparison of
| the cpp file to compiled dll is language they seem to understand.
Regardless
| of the intelligence level of the manager or programmer I talk to, they
| simply *do not get* the fact that going from change UI to documentation is
| not _just_ typing.
|
| Sounds to me like you might be facing something bigger than just a
| disorganized project. It would be easy to point to doc as the hold-up for
| missing deliverables, and especially easy to point to you, being the
| "expert" they hired to do the job. Personally, I would find this too
| expensive (in soul cost, as it were).  Although I don't advocate leaving
| before the job is complete, I might mention it to whoever. Seems to me
this
| situation is intolerable, not only for you, but for everyone involved.
|
| I hope the pressure eases up on you soon. I also hope it helps you to know
| that I (and others) have been in similar situations. As amazing as it is,
we
| mostly manage to survive.
|
| Hang in there, keep breathing, fight for the right to your *real* life,
and
| try not to let the anger and disapproval of others drive your day.
|
| C. Lynn Perry
| clperry -at- walldata -dot- com
| Wall Data Incorporated / Seattle WA
| Some days it doesn't pay to gnaw through the straps
|
|
|
 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
|
|


 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=