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AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

aws.amazon.com

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Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#21

Post by rapfaria »

voidhorse wrote: post #13

Uh oh, looks like my tech writing career is under threat (so of course I'm posting with a bit of bias here). A wise move on amazon's part though, offload your work on to users who will improve the docs for a couple of reasons: 1. They can add their contributions to their resumes. 2. They use the software and more than likely reference the docs, and so are already stakeholders that desire the content to be correct and…

I'm curious. What makes contribution to this docs so special that adding it to the resume has been mentioned a few times in this thread? I mean, is it not just another repo you have contributed to in your github profile?

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#22

Post by always_good »

jjeaff wrote: post #3

Brilliant. Let unpaid volunteers fix and update the documentation for your proprietary systems so you don't have to pay someone to do it. Can someone explain to me why people will inevitably put in countless hours of free labor for Amazon here?

Just think of all the uncompensated value you've given Y Combinator every time you've left a quality comment on their forum.

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#23

Post by jjeaff »

osteele wrote: post #17
jjeaff wrote: post #3

Brilliant. Let unpaid volunteers fix and update the documentation for your proprietary systems so you don't have to pay someone to do it. Can someone explain to me why people will inevitably put in countless hours of free labor for Amazon here?

I’ve submitted bug reports about proprietary products because I want them to get better. How is this different? Or is that exploitative too?

Bug reports are a little different than the product itself. I guess my take is that yes, if you needed it fixed because you are using it, then it makes sense.

But in the case of documentation, by the time I figured things out and see that the documentation is wrong, I no longer need the docs and I know what to do.

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#24

Post by jjeaff »

always_good wrote: post #20
dcosson wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is it any different than documenting open-source code for free, or answering a stack overflow question?

Yeah, it's kind of like wondering why someone would make an open source project better when the person that owns the repo gets all the credit. Or all the competitors they might be inadvertently helping out by improving the project. Sometimes it's nice to just make things better.

With an open source project, I can fork and use the code for myself and contribute back to the project.

But if I spend a bunch of time fixing AWS docs, it's not like I have any need to fork it and use 8t as documentation for my own AWS-like service.

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#25

Post by mgkimsal »

dcosson wrote: post #18
jjeaff wrote: post #3

Brilliant. Let unpaid volunteers fix and update the documentation for your proprietary systems so you don't have to pay someone to do it. Can someone explain to me why people will inevitably put in countless hours of free labor for Amazon here?

Why is it any different than documenting open-source code for free, or answering a stack overflow question?

partially because you're presumably paying for the amazon service, but not necessarily with an open source project. one of the ways some people 'pay' for using an OS project is by helping in forums/docs/etc. presumably, the money you're paying for amazon services is/should be going in to their documentation.

also... with an OS project, I can actually get the code and see how it runs, test patches, etc. I can't actually do that with their services, and any docs I might contribute would be guesstimates as to how things actually work, vs how it actually does work (and what's intended), which would/should come from the company that actually owns the code in question.

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#26

Post by mgkimsal »

rapfaria wrote: post #21
voidhorse wrote: post #13

Uh oh, looks like my tech writing career is under threat (so of course I'm posting with a bit of bias here). A wise move on amazon's part though, offload your work on to users who will improve the docs for a couple of reasons: 1. They can add their contributions to their resumes. 2. They use the software and more than likely reference the docs, and so are already stakeholders that desire the content to be correct and…

I'm curious. What makes contribution to this docs so special that adding it to the resume has been mentioned a few times in this thread? I mean, is it not just another repo you have contributed to in your github profile?

i'd have to think it's a prestige matter. sending some patches to project X vs AWS ... one will be seen by more folks, used by more folks, probably has to be vetted by someone with known authority, etc.

why does going to one university vs another carry more weight with some people?

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#27

Post by eropple »

est wrote: post #8
jjeaff wrote: post #3

Brilliant. Let unpaid volunteers fix and update the documentation for your proprietary systems so you don't have to pay someone to do it. Can someone explain to me why people will inevitably put in countless hours of free labor for Amazon here?

I think php.net's documentation with comments was better.

That documentation devolved over time into a tire fire of bad and dangerous advice.

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#28

Post by voidhorse »

rapfaria wrote: post #21
voidhorse wrote: post #13

Uh oh, looks like my tech writing career is under threat (so of course I'm posting with a bit of bias here). A wise move on amazon's part though, offload your work on to users who will improve the docs for a couple of reasons: 1. They can add their contributions to their resumes. 2. They use the software and more than likely reference the docs, and so are already stakeholders that desire the content to be correct and…

I'm curious. What makes contribution to this docs so special that adding it to the resume has been mentioned a few times in this thread? I mean, is it not just another repo you have contributed to in your github profile?

It may just be another repo at the end of the day. Point is, contributions to open source are sometimes considered when selecting job candidates, so it remains an incentive for folks that may be strong enough for it to nudge them to do work for Amazon. I.e. even though it's technically free labor, I potentially benefit in some way thus I'm content. The problem is potential edge in future job searches is a far more ephemeral form of compensation for your time, is not concretely measurable, and is not actually provided by the company the labor was completed for. In the end the company ends up with a tangible product which they can use to compete in a market and the open source contributor ends up with, at best, a potential benefit should she ever need to apply to some job that will actually pay her for her work in the future.

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#29

Post by icantdrive55 »

always_good wrote: post #22
jjeaff wrote: post #3

Brilliant. Let unpaid volunteers fix and update the documentation for your proprietary systems so you don't have to pay someone to do it. Can someone explain to me why people will inevitably put in countless hours of free labor for Amazon here?

Just think of all the uncompensated value you've given Y Combinator every time you've left a quality comment on their forum.

I'm o.k. with it here. It might even ruin the site if money was even offered to Moderstors.

That said, I don't like when people/companies exploit human nature. Most of us want to help, learn, or just communicate.

My biggest gripe is when a dude is filthy rich, and it's usually a man; and they just cheap everything out.

The thinking is awalys, I built it, and I'm not breaking any law.

It goes double for companies who set up shop in the closest hole to save few bucks.

Yes--no man made laws were broken, but morals/ethics--morals I was brought up with were broken.

It get's worse every decade, and very few call these guys out. Instead, they are put on pedastools?

Actually, clever hypocrites have seized on to the problem, but even at over a year (418 days), nothing is changing. I don't need to mention the charlatan.

I see the selfishness everywhere. It's just greed wrapped up in different, clever packaging.

And I know we're not suspose to comment on how the upper class (God--I don't know why they are called upper class.) think.

All I know is they have abused their position, a position of influence because of their wealth, to a disgusting level.

I am forced to live among them. I give them half smiles. I'm polite.

I have zero respect for them though. And when they do decide to give a bit back; they can't just give. They need to micromanage the "gift", or put their name on it. They just can't give.

And I'm not just picking on tech/manufacturers. I see it everywhere. I usually just have to follow the money to find the rat.

I'm not in a good mood? Everytime I tell my version of what I'm seeing, I feel the need to make excuses. Why? Because I know their will be the usual backlash, and justification--usually by the unpaid/underpaid followers of these guys.

Re: AWS documentation is now open source and on GitHub

#30

Post by est »

eropple wrote: post #27
est wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think php.net's documentation with comments was better.

That documentation devolved over time into a tire fire of bad and dangerous advice.

which is still better than no advice at all.

It's good to know there are bad practices out there, and the doc team should update the doc and show how to avoid bad practice.

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