Open Documentation Hour, recorded 2nd August 2024.
In this recording, we discuss various strategies for helping software engineers write, and take ownership over, more documentation.
Huge thank you to @akonev for running this session. The slides can be found here.
00:00 Welcome
00:10 Updates
01:00 Submit your documents!
02:30 Artem starts
02:41 Encouraging engineers to write their own documentation
03:00 Outline
04:00 Build-up: rethink the framing
04:21 Build-up: scope
07:40 Build-up: limitations and prerequisites
12:00 Build-up: toppling false assumptions
14:40 Strategies: mix and match
14:50 Strategies: enforce!
18:40 Strategies: educate
22:00 Strategies: collaborate
26:53 Strategies: grease
29:00 Fun stuff time!
31:30 Surrender your shadow docs!
32:00 Questions
33:00 Strategies for teaching
39:00 Diplomacy and soft skills
41:00 Collaboration is key
43:00 Avoiding the happy paths
44:30 Happy paths aren’t always intentional
49:10 How to you help engineers understand the role of a TA