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documentation [2026/02/12 01:51] – remove incredulity, add mania qlyoungdocumentation [2026/02/12 17:05] (current) – [Tools] promote heading one level qlyoung
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   - If you want to write code - I feel for you. Don't you want people to use that code?   - If you want to write code - I feel for you. Don't you want people to use that code?
  
-The last point brings up an important point - if you have zero interest or responsibility for anyone else to use what you're writing, by all means, do not write docs if you don't want to. I am not saying that you need to document everything you make. But for things you intend other people to use, writing docs will make them love you. If you do it professionally, I will double down and claim that competency in technical writing is part of being a well rounded and competent engineer.+The last point is important - if you have zero interest or responsibility for anyone else to use what you're writing, by all means, do not write docs if you don't want to. I am not saying that you need to document everything you make. But for things you intend other people to use, writing docs will make them love you. If you do it professionally, I will double down and claim that competency in technical writing is part of being a well rounded and competent engineer.
  
 ===== culture ===== ===== culture =====
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 Now the user has that docs page to share with anyone facing the same problem and KP can spend less time answering that question in the future. This saves everybody time and improves morale. Now the user has that docs page to share with anyone facing the same problem and KP can spend less time answering that question in the future. This saves everybody time and improves morale.
  
-==== Tools ====+===== tools =====
  
 I'm not going to talk about what docs tools I like here. Actually I am going to talk about the opposite. I'm not going to talk about what docs tools I like here. Actually I am going to talk about the opposite.
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 <blockquote>Docs are worthless if nobody writes them.<cite>Me</cite></blockquote> <blockquote>Docs are worthless if nobody writes them.<cite>Me</cite></blockquote>
  
-Yep. You know how you get people to write docs? I can tell you that it is not by handing them the reStructuredText manual. It is by making it as frictionless, painless, as easy as possible to edit the docs. This is triply true in organizations where people are not rewarded for writing docs. Which is most of them, at least in my experience.+Yep. You know how you get people to write docs? I can tell you that it is not by pointing them at a `docs/` directory with instructions to just make a PR. It is by making it as frictionless, painless, as easy as possible to edit the docs. This is triply true in organizations where people are not rewarded for writing docs. Which is most of them, at least in my experience.
  
 If I have to make a git commit to edit docs, the platform is DOA. If I cannot drag and drop a screenshot into the editor, the platform is DOA. If I have to learn a syntax to edit docs - even if it is Markdown - the platform is DOA. If it takes me more than 5 seconds or so to make an edit or add a screenshot or correct a typo, the platform is DOA. If I have to make a git commit to edit docs, the platform is DOA. If I cannot drag and drop a screenshot into the editor, the platform is DOA. If I have to learn a syntax to edit docs - even if it is Markdown - the platform is DOA. If it takes me more than 5 seconds or so to make an edit or add a screenshot or correct a typo, the platform is DOA.
  
-I say this as someone who built https://docs.frrouting.org/. These docs are a SWE's dream. reStructuredText is an amazing markup system for technical documentation and has rich structural capabilities with cross referencing, glossaries, syntax highlighting, parsers, et cetera. It can be compiled into any format you want - PDF, HTML, manpage, transpiled into almost any other markup, it's really the best system out there from a technical perspective. Yet the FRR docs are years out of date in many respects. Do you know why? It's because to edit these docs you need to:+I say this as someone who built https://docs.frrouting.org/. These docs are, technologically, fantastic. reStructuredText is an amazing markup system for technical documentation and has rich structural capabilities with cross referencing, glossaries, syntax highlighting, parsers, et cetera. It can be compiled into any format you want - PDF, HTML, manpage, transpiled into almost any other markup. It's version controlled in git and as a plain text format you can use all the great tooling you use with code to view it, diff it, edit it. From a technical perspective it's really close to the best system out there. Yet the FRR docs are years out of date in most areas. Do you know why? It's because to edit these docs you need to:
  
-1. Know reStructuredText +  - Know reStructuredText 
-2. Make a git commit +  - Make a git commit 
-3. Submit a PR.+  - Submit a PR.
  
-That's it. Each of these things individually adds so much friction that when you put them in front of someone who loves writing code and is ambivalent about docs, and isn't paid to write docs, the idea of updating the docs is going to vanish from their mind leaving a spotless void that can be filled with code or a cocktail or any number of other things.+That's it. Each of these things individually adds so much friction that when you put them in front of someone who is anything less than passionate about documentation, and isn't paid to write it, the idea of updating the docs is going to vanish from their mind leaving a spotless void that can be filled with code or a cocktail or any number of other things.
  
-Now put in front of this person a webpage with an edit button. That typo staring them in the face? All you have to do to fix it is click that button, delete that one extra `e` and click save. It costs nothing to do it and you get the instant satisfaction of contribution.+Now put this person in front of a webpage with an clearly visible "Edit" button. That typo staring them in the face? All you have to do to fix it is click that button, delete that one extra `e` and click save. It costs nothing to do it and you get the instant satisfaction of contribution.
  
 Docs with low friction at least have a chance of tending towards becoming ground truth and references. Docs with high friction enter a self reinforcing cycle of decay. Nobody edits docs that are out of date. Nobody wants to polish a turd. But a fleck of dust on a beautiful object can motivate even the most depraved docs hater to brush it away. Docs with low friction at least have a chance of tending towards becoming ground truth and references. Docs with high friction enter a self reinforcing cycle of decay. Nobody edits docs that are out of date. Nobody wants to polish a turd. But a fleck of dust on a beautiful object can motivate even the most depraved docs hater to brush it away.
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