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techrecoverySo it's Friday, a day I have grown to hate, because it's the day I get to correlate the support reports and write knowledge base topics based on any kind of common issues I see. Why the Support Apes can't do this, I'll never know. As some of you have so kindly pointed out, my grammar and spelling could use some work.
Anyway, here's an IM exchange I just had the displeasure of dealing with between the president of the company (my boss) and me.
A couple caveats before I start:
1. This topic was called "Installation instructions for $ADD_ON_PRODUCT".
2. Boss is not an American, English is his second language so that's why it reads kind of weird.
[boss]: $KB_TOPIC_LINK
[boss]: you need include list of the keywords here
[boss]: also list of all everything is in $PRODUCT
[me]: That is not the scope of the knowledge base topic. Please read the subject for information regarding the scope of the Knowledge Base topic.
[boss]: you need $PRODUCT for:--- [lists a few things you need it for], what else?
[boss]: it is all about keywords
[me]: Will you please read the subject of the topic?
[boss]: this si about finfign s solution to their problems, whciub are defien by keywords
[me]: please search for "$PRODUCT install"
[boss]: ?
[me]: What you are asking for is a separate knowledge base topic and should be written by the marketing department. This topic is about HOW TO INSTALL THE SOFTWARE, not WHAT IT ACTUALLY DOES.
[me]: I mean it'd be like me saying "I want to know how to cook tacos" and you saying "Tacos are delicious, they are high in protein and can be really spicy! Tacos are a beloved southwestern dish that contains meat, lettuce, cheese, and sometimes sour cream!"
Now what does that have to do with you telling me how to cook tacos? It tells me that tacos are all that stuff, but it doesn't actually tell me how to cook them, does it.
[boss]: bye
^^ Which is his way of saying "You know what Dark? You're so right, man.. I'm sorry I even brought this up."
..but of course he can't really say that he is wrong. Besides, he's a HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS about consistency (which is probably why I have to write the KB topics, I've been writing them for 5 years now), and there are install instructions done the exact same way for every product we distribute. Even to the point that I copy one of the old instructions and update accordingly.
..and yes, I could have added that drivel to the top of the topic, but we have other types of technical information distribution (that I also write). But the scope of the topic is how to install, not what it actually does.
I need beer.
Anyway, here's an IM exchange I just had the displeasure of dealing with between the president of the company (my boss) and me.
A couple caveats before I start:
1. This topic was called "Installation instructions for $ADD_ON_PRODUCT".
2. Boss is not an American, English is his second language so that's why it reads kind of weird.
[boss]: $KB_TOPIC_LINK
[boss]: you need include list of the keywords here
[boss]: also list of all everything is in $PRODUCT
[me]: That is not the scope of the knowledge base topic. Please read the subject for information regarding the scope of the Knowledge Base topic.
[boss]: you need $PRODUCT for:--- [lists a few things you need it for], what else?
[boss]: it is all about keywords
[me]: Will you please read the subject of the topic?
[boss]: this si about finfign s solution to their problems, whciub are defien by keywords
[me]: please search for "$PRODUCT install"
[boss]: ?
[me]: What you are asking for is a separate knowledge base topic and should be written by the marketing department. This topic is about HOW TO INSTALL THE SOFTWARE, not WHAT IT ACTUALLY DOES.
[me]: I mean it'd be like me saying "I want to know how to cook tacos" and you saying "Tacos are delicious, they are high in protein and can be really spicy! Tacos are a beloved southwestern dish that contains meat, lettuce, cheese, and sometimes sour cream!"
Now what does that have to do with you telling me how to cook tacos? It tells me that tacos are all that stuff, but it doesn't actually tell me how to cook them, does it.
[boss]: bye
^^ Which is his way of saying "You know what Dark? You're so right, man.. I'm sorry I even brought this up."
..but of course he can't really say that he is wrong. Besides, he's a HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS about consistency (which is probably why I have to write the KB topics, I've been writing them for 5 years now), and there are install instructions done the exact same way for every product we distribute. Even to the point that I copy one of the old instructions and update accordingly.
..and yes, I could have added that drivel to the top of the topic, but we have other types of technical information distribution (that I also write). But the scope of the topic is how to install, not what it actually does.
I need beer.
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no subject
Date: 2007-12-07 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-07 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-07 11:37 pm (UTC)test support: "Please retrieve these files, I don't know how."
me: "Todd wrote you a script."
test support: "I don't have the email where he said how to use it, that was years ago."
me: "Run it without options; it tells you how to use it. And since we gave you the script, we don't do after-hours pages for file retrievals anymore."
test support: "Please."
me: "Ok, fine, but I'm writing documentation in the Wiki and next time you're getting a pointer to that, period."
Next day:
me: "I wrote this document on how to use the retrieval script, if the test guys page you point them here and if they have a problem with it, tell them to talk to the boss."
team lead: "You should not have written this; Todd gave them documentation, you should have taken Todd's documentation and sent it to them again, or copied it into the Wiki."
Todd: "This doc is awesome!!!! Thanks for writing it!"
me: "pwnt!"
no subject
Date: 2007-12-08 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-08 01:55 am (UTC)[15:25:07] {Project Manager} says:so we're going over the estiamte for {initials of company}? can you please give me a quick summary of how/why?
[15:25:28] {blkrabbitofinle} says: Because they're completely fucking incompetent.
[15:25:40] {blkrabbitofinle} says: Pardon my French.
[15:25:58] {Project Manager} says: translation there was a significant amount of support needed to for set up?
[15:26:03] {Project Manager} says: ;-)