Getting Educated
Mar 31st, 2007 by Sandra
And thus begins my quest to become educated in iterative development methodology….
It turns out that RUP is one of several “iterative software development frameworks” in use these days. Forget Googling “RUP” or “Rational Unified Process.” Instead, go straight to the Wikipedia entry, which explains RUP in plain English. If necessary, wander over to the Agile Alliance for more detail on iterative processes.
But look in vain for documentation on documentation — at least where user assistance documentation is concerned. In fact, if you Google “RUP” and “technical writing,” this blog will show up somewhere in the top ten entries, the others being professional resumes….
Are you getting a glimpse of my hell?
Now, I know there are at least hundreds of tech writers working within agile or iterative environments, but alas, other than some brief, general articles, there doesn’t seem to be much helpful, real-world experience informed information out there. A good buddy of mine assures me that agile development was all over the 2006 STC conference, but alas, I wasn’t writing technical documentation at the time. Maybe it’s time to browse last year’s conference proceedings.
And to end on a positive note, the April STC-Houston chapter meeting features a panel of writers working within an agile development methodology, so I hope to glean some insights there. That meeting is on April 11, 2007.
I’ll keep you posted.