The purpose of documentation
I once lost a new contract because the first thing I did was to push a part-finished document through for signing-off.
The system was crufty and the details confused, but since it had been around a couple of years and the sysadmins knew it backwards, the sole purpose of the document was to sign it off and throw it in a cupboard, that was what I was getting done.
The project manager (call him Scumspawn) called me in and carpeted me for some trivial typo - "call yourself a professional?" blah, blah.
I checked with his boss and yes, it was fit for sign-off and thanks for a tremendous job, this document had been bugging them for literally years, it was the last thing keeping the delivery project open.
Turned out Scumspawn was nearing retirement and was using the chaotic state of the report to keep his project open until his retirement date, just to be sure of the big fat pension coming his way. He was horrified that this new author knew his job well enough to cut straight through his carefully woven web of confusion. I had to go with immediate effect, before I tipped off his Boss.
Oops!
Thank goodness we were in a basement room at the time and there were no windows to open.
My replacement assignment turned out to be the job of a lifetime, you couldn't make it up. I can only thank the miserable git from the bottom of my heart.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
