Managing Your Documentation Projects by Hackos, JoAnn T. PhD, 0471590991, Lowest Book Price Finder

Customer Reviews:

An Idiots Guide

The book in question is well-natured enough but simply patronises the audience. It never seems to get to the point, and when it does, instead of just telling you what the point is it presents you with some clearly made-up fable of modern life in which everyone either could be happier if they listen to Hackos or is happier from having done so! This book spends so much time attempting to convert you to the path of documentation (which I would presume you would already be on if you were reading a book like this!) that you begin to wonder how much of a hard time the field is having establishing itself in the states! This is a useful book only for a bibliography of other peoples business processes which can be applied to documentation.

My bible...

This book has everything that a documentation department, regardless of size, needs to manage their projects. JoAnn's guidelines have delivered our department from oblivion.

Very good reference for effective documentation process

For novice or experienced writers, this book offers more insight into good documentation processes than any other book I have read. The approach advocated by the author is applicable in any documenation development effort, be it hardware or software, commercial or mil spec. There really is something for everyone.

This book focuses on the need for a solid planning effort as the basis for all major decisions. Information planning, content planning, scheduling, and resource allocation are all covered in a comprehensive and thorough manner.

Throughout the book, the author chooses as an organizing principle the concept of a documentation life cycle. Thus, readers have a conceptual framework that they can use to relate what the author has written to their own experience.

As well, the author classifies the stages of development of a publications group from chaos to a team capable of a managed, repeatable, and worthwhile effort that enhances the product. I have had both the misfortune and good fortune to have worked with each type of organization that the author describes. The descriptions are breathtaking in their accuracy.

This book is written in a very readable style. There are numerous case studies and examples. Clearly, the author has extensive experience and has drawn upon this to provide a very useful book.

This book should be on every technical writer's shelf.

Should have been shorter

I have very mixed feelings about this book. Clearly Hackos has a tremendous amount of experience and has seen many successful projects from start to finish. Nonetheless, I'm troubled by the length of the book and the heavy reliance on project management methodologies from other disciplines. Hackos has correctly recognized that a documentation project has to be broken into stages, and the stages she suggests are (pretty) good. But the sheer number of deliverables produced in each phase is overwhelming. By bombarding developers with doc deliverables (information plans, content specifications, etc.) during the development cycle, you risk becoming the ninny on your software project--or more precisely, the schoolmarm. And that, I think, is what bothers me about this book in general: the schoolmarmish tone that resurfaces throughout. There is just too much detail.

Hackos is correct to suggest that writers must establish better rapport with developers. I think the way to do that, however, is to get closer to real development methodologies (rather than writing methodologies) that are gaining steam today. (Best example: Rational Software's Unified Process.) If the profession is ever to get the respect it deserves, technical writers will have to become more like programmers, and less like English teachers.

Do you want a good guide to doc management? Buy this book.

This is an excellent source for documentation managers. I was thrust into a managing role after 1.5 years as a technical writer. This book really helped me make a mole hill out of a mountain. My only complaint is the extranious graphics/illustrations (which offer no profound insight or information). These graphics may add white space, making the book less intimidating to the green reader, but this is a specialized topic for a specialized audience, which doesn't need such pedestrian graphics. If you can learn to ignore the illustrations and stick to the content (which is excellent, by the way), this book will help you get a grip on managing documentation.

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