Melissa Burpo

Record and automate web processes with CoScripter

mburpo — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:17:00 GMT

IBM recently released CoScripter, a (phenomenally cool) Firefox extension that records actions performed in a web browser and translates the actions into automated scripts and human-readable instructions.

For example, to show someone how to check the weather, do the following:

Open the CoScripter sidebar in Firefox.
Select the New icon and click Record.
Navigate through the steps in Firefox.
Select Save.

CoScriptor translates your actions into editable text and viewable steps. After it’s saved, users can view the text only instructions and run the automated walkthrough by selecting the Open in Sidebar button on the same page. Once it's opened, click the Step button to see the process.

As a technical writer, CoScripter is a really exciting new tool - what a great way to generate technical tutorials and procedures (among other things).

Seeking Agile Software Developers

mburpo — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:24:00 GMT

Work for one of the most progressive development shops in the US, building a new software product line with pioneering technologies.

> Test-driven development
> Continuous integration
> Behavior-driven design
> Domain-driven design
> HTML, CSS, Javascript
> Monorail, ASP .NET
> .NET Orcas
> Entity Framework
> SQL 2005
> WF
> WCF
> LINQ
> C# 3.0
> Ruby
> Watir
> FIT

Who we’re looking for || Dovetail Software is staffing a new team for an innovative software project. We’re looking for senior software developers with a deep understanding of software design to work in our agile development lab in Austin, TX. That you are already versed in patterns is a given; that you write tests is taken for granted; that you believe that learning is a primary responsibility goes without saying; that you understand that code is for communicating with other people rather than a compiler is a foregone conclusion. We’re hiring motivated people for a terrific opportunity with a team of recognized .NET and agile community leaders.

Our development methodology || We are a Scrum/XP shop. We work in two-week iterations. We have a collaborative relationship with our customers. We write tests before we write functional code to clarify our design intentions. We keep the build clean. We work in an environment that maximizes communication to minimize the volume of spec documents. We build software that can effectively respond to change. We use open source tools where appropriate, and Microsoft tools where they make sense. We have executive support and visibility all the way up to our Board of Directors.

About Dovetail Software || Serving companies since 1995, Dovetail Software develops CRM products for global 1000 enterprises. Our product, Dovetail CRM, is a comprehensive customer service and support, logistics management, customer self service, and knowledge management suite. Dovetail is a small company with big customers and great benefits for its employees. Our outstanding compensation package includes company-paid health, dental, and life insurance, and matching 401k. And with our stock options, our employees are rewarded as our company grows.

About Austin || Placing second in the Large Cities Creativity Ranking, Austin is recognized as a city with a thriving music scene, ethnic and cultural diversity, endless outdoor recreations, and a great nightlife. It’s a nationally recognized center for technology innovation—home to 3,200 tech companies with 98,000 employees.

Email us and tell us why you’d make a great addition to our team: tech-jobs@dovetailsoftware.com

Dovetail Admin 2.4 Release

mburpo — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:26:30 GMT

Dovetail Admin 2.4 has been released and includes two major enhancements. First of all, we have improved the navigation menu to help you perform your required tasks with more efficiency and ease (see the first screenshot below). And most importantly, this new version completes the product management aspect of our administrative application with several new pages that will allow you to easily organize and manage your products and services.

Managing Part Numbers

Part Classes Page Add, remove, and update the classes that define a part number’s type.
Part Number Details Page Add, remove, update, and track part number details such as its domain, family, type, and weight.
Part Number Revisions Page Update and track all part revisions.
Part Number Bill of Materials Page Add, remove, update, and track items included in the part’s bill of materials.
Part Number Alternates Page Add, remove, update, and track any alternate parts.
Part Number Catalogs Page Add or remove the part from a catalog.

Technorati tags: product release

Don't lose your users in abstraction

mburpo — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:28:22 GMT

In our agile environment, we write user stories to define the features and requirements of the product – specifically, these one to two sentence cards briefly describe how a user can use it.

I’m the new tech writer at Dovetail, and I sit right next to the user story board in the programmer’s bullpen. When I look at the story cards, I see statements like, “As a case worker, I can resolve a case to complete the rendering of service to the customer,” and “As a system administrator, I can provision user accounts in order to grant access to the system.” But who is the case worker, and who is the system administrator? How will they really use the system?

We came to the conclusion that these abstract “users” aren’t the complete story. If we get lost in these abstract ideas of our users, we might also lose sight of what their real needs might be. Instead of talking about some abstract entity like the “case worker,” we should talk about a specific person, in a specific situation, with a specific need.

To this end, we developed user personas that will be the basis for the user stories. So, instead of talking about a case worker, we’ll talk about Adam Agent, and we’ll know what his job duties are, who he works for, and who some of his customers are. And maybe we’ll catch some stories that might otherwise have been lost.

And now for some introductions:

	The Company - EndoTech EndoTech is a medical devices company that develops, manufactures, and services orthopedic reconstructive products and implant software systems. The EndoTech Customer Service department supports medical professionals, medical organizations, device recipients, and caregivers through a 24-hour call center and a self-service web application.
	The Administrator – Ally Admin As part of her common administration tasks, Ally Admin works with a team to install, configure, and maintain EndoTech’s internal business applications.
	The Agent – Adam Agent In the EndoTech Customer Service department, Adam Agent assists customers by answering questions, solving problems, and providing accurate and timely information. He interacts with customers both personally and anonymously by phone, email, instant-messenger, snail-mail, and internet self-service cases.
	The Customer – Dr. Ortho Dr. Ortho is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in joint replacement procedures. He relies on EndoTech for detailed product information, academic support, and orthopedic resources.
	The Customer – Patricia Patient Patricia Patient’s hip was recently replaced with an EndoTech device, and she likes to stay abreast of any new developments. She also enjoys sharing her experiences with other orthopedic patients and candidates.