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My valuing documentation grew from being the user at various jobs, something like this: "So, here we use Unique Software X." "Great! Is there anything to help

My valuing documentation grew from being the user at various jobs, something like this: "So, here we use Unique Software X." "Great! Is there anything to help me learn how to use it?" "... No. It was just developed over the years." "I'll even take a powerpoint presentation, even if its outdated." "Yea, no. You're just going to have to play with it and hope that that's enough to do your job." "I was going to play with it anyways, but I'm guessing no one has the time to answer questions either?"

click170 12y ago
This. What bugs me is that often they do have times to answer questions, but not to document the product. And then when the next person is hired and asks the same questions, they still don't have time to document but do have time to answer questions. And again with the next newhire. Yes, part of this is my responsibility to document as a new hire. That said, I didn't build the system and it would take me longer to document then the original author or existing senior.
- cs02rm0 12y ago
  Yes... but documentation does fall out of date, so YMMV depending on the product and your hiring rate.
  - drdeadringer 12y ago
    What do you think//feel about documentation being in some wiki-type format as a means against falling out of date?
- SyneRyder 12y ago
  I always thought Derek Sivers covered this well with his Delegate Or Die essay: http://sivers.org/delegate http://sivers.org/delegate If they've got the time to answer the questions, then at least that answer should be documented. Even if they don't have time to document everything, you can at least document the parts that people are actively asking / unsure about, and having a fresh pair of eyes document the system can be helpful (can make the documentation easier to understand for newbies, who are the target audience for documentation usually).
  - drdeadringer 12y ago
    I remember reading this post, and liked the idea.

click170 12y ago

This. What bugs me is that often they do have times to answer questions, but not to document the product. And then when the next person is hired and asks the same questions, they still don't have time to document but do have time to answer questions. And again with the next newhire. Yes, part of this is my responsibility to document as a new hire. That said, I didn't build the system and it would take me longer to document then the original author or existing senior.

cs02rm0 12y ago
Yes... but documentation does fall out of date, so YMMV depending on the product and your hiring rate.
- drdeadringer 12y ago
  What do you think//feel about documentation being in some wiki-type format as a means against falling out of date?
SyneRyder 12y ago
I always thought Derek Sivers covered this well with his Delegate Or Die essay: http://sivers.org/delegate http://sivers.org/delegate If they've got the time to answer the questions, then at least that answer should be documented. Even if they don't have time to document everything, you can at least document the parts that people are actively asking / unsure about, and having a fresh pair of eyes document the system can be helpful (can make the documentation easier to understand for newbies, who are the target audience for documentation usually).
- drdeadringer 12y ago
  I remember reading this post, and liked the idea.