open source writers group


(Old) OSWG Mailing List

    The Open Source Writers Group hosts a general discussion mailing list for people who are interested in or are currently working on Open Source software projects and/or documentation.
    Open Source documentation: the challenges

      Documenting Open Source software involves some challenges that "normal" software projects do not face. These challenges are primarily due to the fact that Open Source development and documentation teams are:

        a) doing all of this stuff in their "spare time"
        b) geographically dispersed, often residing on opposite sides of the globe
        c) unpaid

      These challenges are not minor ones. In "normal" software development environments, the documentation team is usually integrated closely with the development team. The work directly with programmers and designers. They (ideally) receive product specs and design documents at the same time as the developers. They are able to get the information they need through a wide variety of channels, from design meetings to water-cooler discussions.

      People working on documentation for Open Source projects are lacking a majority of the advantages that close, daily contact with other team-members and project programmers provides. More often than not, people working on Open Source projects never physically meet; communication is done solely through asynchronous methods (email); there are no water-coolers in cyberspace.

      This mailing list provides a forum where these (and other) unique issues and challenges can be discussed.

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