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Like most technical writers, getting my feature team to review my help topics for technical accuracy is like keeping an Iditarod team from making a dash for the nearest McDonalds or garbage dump in the middle of a blinding blizzard. Technical contributors want to participate in technical documentation reviews but they rarely have enough bandwidth to do so effectively. Consequently, I spend a lot of time trying to determine the most effective way to squeeze my teammates for feedback. This can be a painstaking process, especially for technical writers who are unlucky enough to work with teams that are halfway around the world or spread across the country. Some contributors only produce if I corner them in their office with a paper copy. Others are overly motivated, but I love them all the same. Most technical reviewers, at least at Microsoft, require a combination of: incentives (food, beer, ...), attention getters (a stern note from their manager) and tech review tools that fit their working style and team culture. View all 84 works published by Microsoft |
 WikiWiki as Tech Review Vehicle http://blogs.msdn.com/korbyp/archive/2004/02/19/76672.aspx
Parnell, Korby Microsoft 2004
Abstract: Like most technical writers, getting my feature team to review my help topics for technical accuracy is like keeping an Iditarod team from making a dash for the nearest McDonalds or garbage dump in the middle of a blinding blizzard. Technical contributors want to participate in technical documentation reviews but they rarely have enough bandwidth to do so effectively. Consequently, I spend a lot of time trying to determine the most effective way to squeeze my teammates for feedback. This can be a painstaking process, especially for technical writers who are unlucky enough to work with teams that are halfway around the world or spread across the country. Some contributors only produce if I corner them in their office with a paper copy. Others are overly motivated, but I love them all the same. Most technical reviewers, at least at Microsoft, require a combination of: incentives (food, beer, ...), attention getters (a stern note from their manager) and tech review tools that fit their working style and team culture.
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