""I took over this package, gave it a nice overhaul, and wrote what I thought was a pretty good user guide that was about 40 pages long," Gordon told On Call. He then updated the manual each time he finished a new release of the software. At the time this story took place, it was sensible to print such documents. Gordon did so using the office photocopier, a stapler, and a little shoe-leather to distribute his work."
"That practice caught the attention of someone in the company's bureaucracy who knew that the technical writing team had responsibility for printing, publication, and distribution of important documents. Gordon was therefore required to engage with that team, which he says jumped at the chance to help because it would mean they looked busy. A team of three tech writers therefore started to edit Gordon's little manual."
""They significantly obscured and changed the meaning of some modestly technical content," he wrote. As the tech writing team and Gordon exchanged drafts, their relationship became strained to the point of undisguised animosity that meant formal letters became the only safe means of communication between the warring parties. The tech writers eventually sent Gordon a note to the effect that a conversation had become necessary to address complex issues."
Gordon served as the sole developer and maintainer of an application used by about 50 employees and produced a roughly 40-page user guide, updating it with each release and distributing printed copies. The technical-writing team asserted responsibility for printing and distribution, reviewed the manual, and altered technical passages in ways that obscured meaning. Iterative draft exchanges deteriorated into open animosity and formal written communication. A request for conversation prompted Gordon to suggest alternate competent technical writers, which in turn led the technical-writing team to escalate the matter to management.
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