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Developer pays strangers to test his README instructions
Original: I paid people to try and follow my README
A developer paid people to attempt to set up his project using only its README, to test whether the documentation actually works. He argues that developers are bad at writing docs and that RTFM culture is unfair when there is no usable manual, just scattered notes and dead forum links. The experiment is being shared and discussed widely among programmers, many of whom recognise the problem of untested installation instructions.
Why now: It highlights a relatable, widespread frustration with poorly written software documentation and offers a practical way to test it.
Terence EdenREADMEsoftware documentation
Rank over time, top of the chart is #1. 2 snapshots from 25 min ago to 10 min ago.
Evidence
- I paid people to try and follow my README · Terence Eden’s Blog
Developers suck at writing documentation. We like to say RTFM but often there ain't no FM to R. At best we have a half-arsed collection of notes, some obsolete tips, and a link to a desolate forum full of people asking the same questions again and again. That's no way to treat…
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