# Does extensive documentation do more harm than good?

DevFeed: [Does extensive documentation do more harm than good?](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/does-extensive-documentation-do-more-harm-than-good-38866.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://dev.to/vestrel00/does-extensive-documentation-do-more-harm-than-good-4kef>)

Author: Vandolf Estrellado

Published: 2022-01-03T00:01:33Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Vandolf Estrellado](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/vandolf-estrellado.md>)

Topics: [Documentation](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/documentation.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [GitHub](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/github.md>), [jira](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/jira.md>)

Tags: [bus-factor](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bus-factor.md>), [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [coding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coding.md>), [community](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/community.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [discuss](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/discuss.md>), [documentation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/documentation.md>), [engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering.md>), [github](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/github.md>), [inclusive](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/inclusive.md>), [opensource](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/opensource.md>), [showdev](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/showdev.md>), [software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software.md>), [want](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/want.md>)

## AI overview

The author reflects on writing extensive documentation across code, pull requests, issue trackers, open-source discussions, and workplace communications. They question whether the time spent documenting is excessive, while noting that it reduces dependency on their personal knowledge and helps them disconnect from work.

## Source excerpt

I feel like I tend to write too much documentation in code, PR descriptions, PR comments, JIRA tickets, markdown files, etc. If I can write documentation on it, then you bet that I am doing it 😆 There are few exceptions where I don't write documentation such as self-explanatory, 1-liner code... I think I do it because I don't like people asking questions. Really anti-social behavior 😊 Some may say that I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Warning! The following GIFs may cause siezures as they have been sped up to meet maximum file size limits. I'm writing documentation in code, extensively... Useful? Not useful? Who cares? No one? Readable? Beautiful? I'm writing howto pages for all APIs, functions, and entities in the library... Cool? Or insane? Or cool but a waste of time? It looks like this in the mobile GitHub app... Tell me it's not pretty... Tell me! (Please don't tell me). I'm using GitHub Pages as a free website for my hard work on my documentation... Can't really turn down a free domain and 1-click theme changes 😄 I'm writing really long responses in my open source discussion pages, issues, and PRs... Because I want to make my collaborators feel heard and appreciated. These insane tendencies carry over to my professional life. I write really thorough, detailed JIRA tickets, Slack messages, architectural docs, engineering notes, to a point of insanity. Typically, when I post my response to people at work, they usually don't have any follow up questions. They expect that if they ask Vandolf a question, he will answer that question and give every bit of context related to it with links to supporting documents and visual aid (GIFs and videos with callouts) when needed. It is probably starting to annoy some people at work despite them publicly giving me praise for it. I don't have a GIF for this part because I don't want to get fired 🔥 It also carries over to my personal life, which I will not discuss here... So... Lately, I've been wondering if I'm wasting tim