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Ask HN: How to write good documentation as a team

3 pointsby zwaragalmost 4 years ago
I was browsing the net to see if I could find a good summary on how to write good documentation.<p>In the team I work now (which works on an internal framework) there are 7 People working on features and everyone is writing some part of the docs and the difference in style is very noticeable.<p>Some like to write from the personal perspective (I), others in a teaching manner (we, you) [have,could,should]. Some write in an asking manner, other in a commanding manner. Then there is the debate between as concise as possible and &quot;enjoyable to read&quot; as possible (&quot;Go to foo for more information.&quot; &lt;-&gt; &quot;If you would like to read more about this topic, head over to the foo section.&quot;).<p>We have a Pull-Request guide that has some review points concerning documentation. But I feel like it&#x27;s only partially effective. So I was wandering, how is HN approaching their documentation writing.

1 comment

gradschoolalmost 4 years ago
FWIW, I used to work as a technical writer. To treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves, I suggest hiring a copy editor with a technical background, either full time or on contract, with an initial brief to standardize a house style on which everyone can agree. Older people are a great source of potential hires because many of them went to school when grammar used to be taught. As an aside, I think you&#x27;re doing the right thing by getting developers to document their own work even if their documents need rewriting by someone else, because doing so compels them to think clearly.