Comments - Geeks Bearing Grifts - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T23:14:24Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=537324%3ABlogPost%3A191416&xn_auth=noThanks for the clarification.…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-04-06:537324:Comment:1917912009-04-06T11:20:11.008ZPeg Herringhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/pegfish
Thanks for the clarification. It doesn't make me any happier, but I can relate. I used to write grants, and I kept getting held up by the thought of what I was promising the powers that be that these poor teachers would do to "earn" that money. Other grant folks kept telling me not to worry about that. My job was to, as Dana says, get it out the door and to hell with the little people.
Thanks for the clarification. It doesn't make me any happier, but I can relate. I used to write grants, and I kept getting held up by the thought of what I was promising the powers that be that these poor teachers would do to "earn" that money. Other grant folks kept telling me not to worry about that. My job was to, as Dana says, get it out the door and to hell with the little people. Having worked for a couple of…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-04-06:537324:Comment:1917642009-04-06T00:46:49.643ZDana Kinghttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DanaKing
Having worked for a couple of software companies, I can vouch for all of Toni's assertions, and add one of my own: the marketing types don't really give a rat's ass. They want the product out the door on the promised date. They routinely send out incomplete product, and product with known bugs. They're not going to let the manual hold them up.
Having worked for a couple of software companies, I can vouch for all of Toni's assertions, and add one of my own: the marketing types don't really give a rat's ass. They want the product out the door on the promised date. They routinely send out incomplete product, and product with known bugs. They're not going to let the manual hold them up. Why are manuals so bad? I spe…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-04-05:537324:Comment:1916982009-04-05T16:01:52.410ZToni L.P. Kelnerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ToniLPKelner
Why are manuals so bad? I spent ten years as a tech writer, so I can offer some possibilities:<br />
<br />
* A lousy tech writer. I've run into a few--no more than there are lousy practitioners of any profession, of course, but they're around.<br />
<br />
* The person who wrote the manual wasn't a tech writer at all, but a programmer or customer support rep or quality assurance person or a secretary--in short, anybody who wasn't trained as a tech writer. That happens, too.<br />
<br />
* The manual had to be finished the same…
Why are manuals so bad? I spent ten years as a tech writer, so I can offer some possibilities:<br />
<br />
* A lousy tech writer. I've run into a few--no more than there are lousy practitioners of any profession, of course, but they're around.<br />
<br />
* The person who wrote the manual wasn't a tech writer at all, but a programmer or customer support rep or quality assurance person or a secretary--in short, anybody who wasn't trained as a tech writer. That happens, too.<br />
<br />
* The manual had to be finished the same day as the coding finished, even though changes were being made to the product up until the last minute. The ideal situation would be to complete the product, and then allow plenty of time for tech writers and quality assurance people to check it all out. I never saw an ideal situation.<br />
<br />
* The programmers were too busy to review the manual to make sure it was accurate.<br />
<br />
* The product is just badly designed. You can't do a good manual for a bad product.<br />
<br />
So the real mystery is why any manual is any good.