Idiots or just lazy?

[Bullett]

I don't know why I bother writing documents telling people what we will deliver no one ever seems to read the bloody things.
How much will this be? - It's in the document
When does the offer expire - It's in the document
What spec do the servers need to be? - It's in the document
Can we do X - Yes. It's in the document
etc etc.

before I go back asking questions I make sure I've checked the info isn't obviously available anywhere. I know I'm an 'expert' and I'm happy to help with technical or complex problems but this is basic reading comprehension.

[Pixel Pusher]

So...what's this thread about fella?

[Jasandjules]

We now live in a world where most people want to be spoon fed.

Also, if you are touting for business, then people just want quick info as to why you might be better/cheaper than someone else, they won't waste too much time reading up the finer details.

[boxst]

On the plus side, if you get them to sign the document then when they come back with "Well, it needs to do x ... " you can point to the part in the document that they signed that says 'It will do y'.

[Bullett]

About 3/10

[andy_s]

Bullett said:

About 3/10

Read the bloody post, it's a 4 at least...

[snowy]

Maybe the document is to large to read and digest, some people would rather ask questions without reading a document, it's just the way it is

Chill Winston

[surveyor]

Bullet point executive summary may be required. No-one likes to read a lot of text any more....

[LordGrover]

OP has a point. I recently advertised a car for sale here with comprehensive list of standard items and separate list of mods.
I received several questions requesting info that was clearly shown in a bullet list.

[Blib]

In the mid 70s on Sundays I worked for a friends uncle at Petticoat Lane market selling pub mirrors. There were two sizes of the mirror, one size costing 1 pound each, the second size costing 5 pounds. all morning long I would stand by the stall shouting "1 pound your mirrors!!! A pound a mirror!!! 1 pound your mirrors!!"

Many times I would be stopped, mid cry, by some tourist or other who would enquire as to the cost of said mirrors.

On occasion I would reply "Two quid." And they would pay it!

[TheExcession]

Bullett said:

Idiots or just lazy?

Years back I had a massive argument with my boss over writing 'Detailed Design' documents for software projects. Given that our Architectural Documents were very detailed and generally watertight I just could not fathom the reason to write a Detailed Design document.

I told him the code I write IS the Detailed Design, and it can be verified with testing, if it doesn't work or pass the tests then the detailed design is wrong and I'll fix it. Do you really want me charge 2.5 times the rate for the same result? - i.e. you want a document you'll never read to supplement the code that you'll never read.

Though after getting some code back that was outsourced to an Indian Company I can understand why he wanted me writing baby-steps into a detailed design doc.

[Origin Unknown]

Bullett said:

I don't know why I bother writing documents telling people what we will deliver no one ever seems to read the bloody things.
How much will this be? - It's in the document
When does the offer expire - It's in the document
What spec do the servers need to be? - It's in the document
Can we do X - Yes. It's in the document
etc etc.

before I go back asking questions I make sure I've checked the info isn't obviously available anywhere. I know I'm an 'expert' and I'm happy to help with technical or complex problems but this is basic reading comprehension.

Are you talking about a Statement of Work? There is a common misconception that a SoW is for the customers benefit. It isn't, it's there for you to define your scope and to protect yourself through assumptions, caveats and exclusions. If they don't read it properly, their problem

[Bullett]

Origin Unknown said:

Are you talking about a Statement of Work? There is a common misconception that a SoW is for the customers benefit. It isn't, it's there for you to define your scope and to protect yourself through assumptions, caveats and exclusions. If they don't read it properly, their problem

I know that. It's just no one else seems to.

SoW says we will deliver x & y - signed off and agreed.

then "we wanted Z as well"
no can do, not in the SoW (unless CR)

until someone further up the chain rolls over and gives in to the customer (to keep the business) then complains 6 months later we lost money on the job.

[Snozzwangler]

3/10

Simpler, more factual document required.

[Matt Harper]

Not a new phenomenon, at least in my experience.

I once worked for a company as a dept head and one of my responsibilities was to write a fairly detailed report ahead of the monthly board meeting that provided a synopsis of my depts progress, performance vs target, new business gains, people issues, budgets etc. etc.

It became pretty obvious (due to the type and frequency of questions being asked by board members, that were being answered by my board reports) that my monthly report writing ritual was not reaching the intended audience.

I took the liberty of seeding the next report with, "Is anybody actually reading this?" in the executive summary.

When I got no reaction to that experiment, I just submitted the same document to the board thereafter (for 8-9 months, until I left), and nobody EVER challenged me on it.

[davhill]

When I confirm a booking at my holiday flat, I send a detailed email, with dates, times, location etc., and the code for the keysafe in bold. I often then get whining "We can find the place." or "How do we get in?".
The customer is always right. Oh yes?

[TheExcession]

Matt Harper said:

"Is anybody actually reading this?" in the executive summary

I've done similar before. Amazing how many people up the chain are just ticking boxes that 'the report came in'.

[Captain Muppet]

It's "idiots", they may also be lazy, but they are definitely idiots.

When clever people are lazy its known as "efficiency".

[anonymous-user]

I rang a chinese takeaway to order a chow mein and asked 'do you deliver'?

They said 'no, just chicken and beef, its on the menu'!

[Monkeylegend]

Pixel Pusher said:

So...what's this thread about fella?

That deserves a