Tech Writing Constants

No matter where I go, I get the same types of limited answers to my questions the first time I ask them. It's only by being stubborn and demanding more information do I get what I need.

So if I have a dialog box that has a checkbox called Doo-hickey and I ask a coding  monkey what that checkbox does, this is the answer I'll get:

"Ah. When you select the Doo-hickey checkbox, the Doo-hickey is active. If you deselect the checkbox, the Doo-hickey is inactive."

As if any moron couldn't figure this out on his own. "Yes, but what does the Doo-hickey feature do? How does it affect other functions? Why is it important?"

To these questions, I will either get a blank stare, a repeat of the first definition, or any of the following:

• I don't know. Go ask Coding Monkey #12.
• Our clients already know that. You don't have to tell them.
• If our clients don't know what a Doo-hickey is, they shouldn't be using this software.
• *sigh* How can you possibly document our software if you don't know what a Doo-hickey is?
• Go away. I have better things to do than hold your hand and answer these stupid questions.

Of course, occasionally, I'll get a decent human being who will answer my question and take the time to explain it all to me, admitting that technical writing is not as easy as it looks. Those Coding Monkeys I like and become my main source of information.