Why document

• To take vacations
• Printed documentation on gear
• documentation helps as a teaching tool and memory aid

When

• Might be required by law or policy of workplace
• Check day to day work process, common tasks
• If unavailible, can others get the job done
• To cover unusual situations
• Disaster recovery situations

Basics

Documentation is making sure you have everything you need. Without documentation you are lost in the woods blind. Everybody from end users to sysadmins need documentation.

3 types of users

• End Users
  • Teachers, Students, Admin Staff
  • Using the product, whether they know it or not
• Power Users
  • Tech staff, building Techs, helpdesk
  • Installing or configuring the product
• Sysadmins
  • Engineering team
  • Creating the product, changing core configurations