atw: Re: Version management details in a document
- From: Peter Martin <peterm_5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:28:52 +1000
Bob Trussler:
You wrote:
> I am at a site were we are developing document standards, with accompanying
> templates.
> The work we do is designing, building and maintaining large computer systems.
> The programmers (developers) are used to noting every program change in a
> table at the
> start of the program.
>
> 23Jun09 Bob T Added link to new server 03
>
> There is a debate starting about the correct, or the best, or the usual, or
> I'm-used-to-
> this-format place to put that page with the version management and approval
> details in
> a document.
> The page that has both
> V1.3 23Jun09 Bob T Added new server details
> and
> Approved for publication by BBBBB on 24Jun09.
>
> There are two aspects being discussed.
>
> ONE
> Where do we put the page with the version history? 1 the full history on the
> front
> page 2 current version details only on the front page 3 following the title
> page 4
> following the table contents 5 on the last page of the document. During
> the course
> of a project, or during the life of the subject matter, the history of who
> did what
> when can get quite long and spread over several pages. I suggested a
> combination of 2
> and 5. TWO
> Approval or sign off notes. These can be in two formats here. 1 one
> approval note for
> the current version. This by implication covers all previous versions. 2 an
> approval
> note for each and every version, change, or update. This note to be added as
> the last
> column on the version details table.
>
>
> Does anyone have any idea what the current, trendy, latest way to do this and
> preferably WITH SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS.
> I have looked around and found every possible variation.
>
> Feel free to contact me off-line with examples at bob-trussler@xxxxxxxxxxx
>
Well this might stir up a storm, but my personal view of this stuff is that
most of it simply shouldn't be there.
As far as most users are concerned, it's junk, and if there's a need to retain
a record of document changes (which I can understand -- with some
qualifications), these should be kept for lookup in a separate version control
system of some kind.
Sure, a note that the document is approved (when/ by whom), if you must (and
even there, I'd prefer an online system of storage which carries the
implication that the document wouldn't be there if it wasn't approved)
Yes, a version number and release date. With these details the perfectionist
has a key to the records of changes and updates, held somewhere else out of the
bloody way. What else is at all useful ? Pages and pages of detailed change
notes ? YUK! Get a life !
Who the hell then really ever reads the change details at the start of a
document (or anywhere else) -- or who is there that wants this stuff that can't
find it in a doc change audit trail ?
The emperor has no clothes. He's nude.
-PeterM
peterm_5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Scitum est inter caecos luscum regnare posse. (It is well known, that among the
blind the one-eyed man is king.) -
Gerard Didier Erasmus
**************************************************
To view the austechwriter archives, go to
www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter
To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
"unsubscribe" in the Subject field (without quotes).
To manage your subscription (e.g., set and unset DIGEST and VACATION modes) go
to www.freelists.org/list/austechwriter
To contact the list administrator, send a message to
austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
**************************************************
Other related posts:
