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<TITLE>Re: [documentation] Hitchhikers guide to Drupal</TITLE>
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<DIV id=idOWAReplyText43706 dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>Maybe make it a subpage here
linking things?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><A
href="http://drupal.org/node/35172">http://drupal.org/node/35172</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>Additional info on how to contribute</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>here: <A
href="http://drupal.org/documentation-writers-guide">http://drupal.org/documentation-writers-guide</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>here: <A
href="http://drupal.org/node/24570">http://drupal.org/node/24570</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>here: <A
href="http://drupal.org/node/339">http://drupal.org/node/339</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>here: <A
href="http://drupal.org/about/authoring">http://drupal.org/about/authoring</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>here: <A
href="http://drupal.org/node/10259">http://drupal.org/node/10259</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>Part of the problem, is that many many people are not actually
reading the docs. Just ranting/whining. Part of the 'tone' of the
hitchhikers guide is probably in response to this. It is getting
tiresome. Some of the posts are making me suspicious as well with
virtually duplicate content from few hour old to one week old. (One user
created a new account 'cause' he didn't like the nick on his old one, but
refuses to indicate what his old one was and claims over a year in
participation). I have posted many many responses to forum threads
on how people can contribute only to be told they're to busy so they won't
bother or someone else should just do it. So many new people seem to be
used to the phpBB style where everything is kept in forum posts that are sticky
in the forums. They don't bother even trying to read the
handbook. Only in the last few days have we seen new people respond
on this list (which is great, thanks). </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>I am re-ordering the handbook currently. One
goal is to consolidate sections so that they make sense and remove
duplicate text. Example; In the installation and Configuration
section, three areas (installing Drupal, installing modules, installing themes)
will be consolidated down to one top level (Installing Drupal, Modules and
Themes) with a longer introduction and the rest as sub pages. Installing
themes/modules is roughly the same process as installing Drupal itself.
They are all related. Now, it will have one starting point that overviews
and explains it the whole process, then specific sub sections that
elaborate One dedicated to installing Drupal core, one to added new
modules and another to themes. Most of this will be done with the existing
content. Where needed, it will be versioned and broken out or unpublished
as outdated. It will need fine tuning later.</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>With the new handbook versioning, I think that this page <A
href="http://drupal.org/node/260">http://drupal.org/node/260</A> needs to
go down a level and we can manually copy (or link to the branched version
specific version) of the install.txt. That link is to the CVS version
and has lead to much confusion in the past (jump from 4.5 to 4.6) We also
have no instructions on upgrading multisite configurations. I know how I
will do it, but it's a kludge and involes having control of the server.</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>I am adding brief intro text to each top level section with a note
for people to contribute. A note may not be enough. Looking at it
now on the /handbook page, we have one 'Contributing to Drupal' link (<A
href="http://drupal.org/node/10259">http://drupal.org/node/10259</A>) in
the 'Developing for Drupal' section. It contains how to contribute without
coding.</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>So, what to do besides add blink tags. </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>Maybe in the About Drupal section, top level How to contribute to
Drupal with an overview of Open Source and links to more specific pages.</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>In the Installation and Configuration section, How to contribute to
installation and configuration</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>In the Customization and Themeing, How to contribute php
snippets/and theming hints</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>In the Developing for Drupal, clean it up. The current
Contributing to Drupal page/section is one of the older ones and needs to be a
bit of refining and updating.</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>---you get the idea.</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>Charlie mentioned that he'd been thinking about going over the
About Drupal section which it really needs. However, I don't have the
time, nor am I really good at structuring things to 'sell/market' so that is a
good place to look at. Lots of hidden gems in there (like the </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>link to my target outline if you missed it: </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><A
href="http://lists.drupal.org/archives/documentation/2005-12/msg00139.html">http://lists.drupal.org/archives/documentation/2005-12/msg00139.html</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>-sp</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><BR> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>
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<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B>
documentation-bounces@drupal.org on behalf of Bill Fitzgerald<BR><B>Sent:</B>
Thu 1/5/2006 12:11 PM<BR><B>To:</B> documentation@drupal.org<BR><B>Subject:</B>
Re: [documentation] Hitchhikers guide to Drupal<BR></FONT><BR></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>Hello, all,<BR><BR>Several people have remarked on the tone --
although it didn't strike<BR>me as over<BR>the top on an initial read, after
your comments I see can see the error of my<BR>ways :) A few people have
remarked on the need to state things positively (ie,<BR>what Drupal is, as
opposed to what Drupal isn't) -- that gets abig +1 here.<BR><BR>One of the
things this thread seems to reveal is the need for a handbook page<BR>that links
to ways non-coders can contribute back to the community.<BR>Most of
the<BR>complaints about Drupal's lack of user friendliness come from non-coders.
In<BR>some ways, these non-coders are precisely the people we want
contributing<BR>documentation on how to use Drupal -- their learning process is
fresh in their<BR>minds, and they can see and express the issues new users have
better than more<BR>experienced users.<BR><BR>So, toward that end, I will gladly
compile and post this list of resources,<BR>tentatively titled "A non-coders
guide to contributing to Drupal"<BR><BR>My suggested links:<BR>1. A link to the
mailing lists page where they can join the listservs<BR>2. A list of Forums that
see a higher percentage of newbie-related questions<BR>(General Discussion,
Usability Feedback, Pre-Installation questions,<BR>Installation Problems, How do
I style questions)<BR>3. A guide to posting handbook pages (and perhaps a
section in the handbook in<BR>close proximity to the site recipes entitled "Tips
and Tricks for New Users"?)<BR><BR>Any other
suggestions/feedback?<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR><BR>Bill<BR><BR>Quoting "Kim P. Werker"
<kim@crochetme.com>:<BR><BR>> On 5-Jan-06, at 10:53 AM, Laura Scott
wrote:<BR>><BR>>> I mean the word in the sense it's used in chess: a
kibitzer is <BR>>> someone who watches and criticizes but doesn't
play in the actual <BR>>> game. Maybe it's too obscure of a
reference?<BR>><BR>> Gotcha. Maybe I'm just too inexperienced a chess
player. I forgot <BR>> about the less benign Yiddish usage -- kibitzing
is by its nature <BR>> pointless (and potentially
irritating).<BR>><BR>> On 5-Jan-06, at 10:55 AM, Boris Mann
wrote:<BR>>> Actually, I would say you are the type of person that doesn't
need <BR>>> this notice at all...since you've jumped in and started
contributing.<BR>><BR>> Yes, but I don't know I would have had I read this
notice. (I did <BR>> lots of hand waving and brow-furrowed complaining
before I decided <BR>> that the software is too good to be passed up by
people even mildly <BR>> less stubborn than I am.)<BR>><BR>>
Cheers,<BR>> Kim<BR>> ---<BR>> Editor<BR>> Crochet me Online
Magazine<BR>> <A
href="http://www.crochetme.com">http://www.crochetme.com</A><BR>><BR>>
This is your brain on yarn.<BR>><BR>><BR>> --<BR>> [ documentation |
<A
href="http://lists.drupal.org/listinfo/documentation">http://lists.drupal.org/listinfo/documentation</A>
]<BR>><BR><BR><BR><BR>--<BR>[ documentation | <A
href="http://lists.drupal.org/listinfo/documentation">http://lists.drupal.org/listinfo/documentation</A>
]<BR><BR></FONT></P></DIV>
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