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<TITLE>Re: [documentation] Documentation session in Vancouver</TITLE>
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<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>Also, as I have said before,
until Drupal.org gets updated to the new code base and we get all the spiffy
revisions behavior stuff worked out, we should hold off on it. If
someone wants to contat drumm and work with him so we can get this in, I think
it would be wise to do so sooner thna later. <A
href="http://drupal.org/node/38451">http://drupal.org/node/38451</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>I don't care if we open it up, but what
will be the behavior... right now, if people edit a page, it is and will be in
moderation and NO one can see it except site-maintainers. Drumm has a
patch he is/was working on that will set it so that the revision goes into
moderation but the orginal page will still be displayed. I like that idea
a lot. It allows for editing across the board and appeases both
sides. In any case, until we get drupal.org upgraded, I don't think it
should be opened up. After, then sure.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>In the meantime, will this mean we have
more people purusing and adding content? Frankly, I haven't see a lot
of more people doing until lately. I spent the holiday's in November (at
in-laws, bored) looking over and formulating my idea and the month of December
bouncing it off people. My whole idea revolved around making it clear
where things go and a progression of reading for folks new and old.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>I realize that 'Best Practices' are
opinions and not fact, but they are the result of repeated config mistakes or
missing steps being asked and answered in the forums and as a result, we
have a huge reduction in those types of issues being reported. If people
disagree or have an alternative approach to them, then edit/modify/add
them. Otherwise they are all we got and are better then nothing. I
would be THRILLED if people who maintain larger site infrastructures than I do
would contribute to them based on their experiance. But I haven't seen it
happening in the last year except the modules help drive.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>We can keep talking about this, but until
people do things, all we do is talk talk talk.....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>I got FIVE responses to my proposal.
Five. And they were all positive so I went forward with it and I believe
that what I have done is a significant step forward. I think I explained
my vision fairly clearly. If it can be done without coding, then it goes
in Installation and Configuration. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Customization and theming section is
the advanced section and where snippets, code samples, strategies for theme
approaches, methodiologies and recipes would go. This section needs
an expanded introduction but essentially, you will need some php, advanced html,
SQL background or the willingness to learn. </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Now, I am hearing that those types of things don't belong in a handbook
as book pages? This confuses me. I don't see why not. The
first is basics, the second book (think of these as seperate books which is what
they are so actually the link structure isn't as deep as it may at first appear)
is about how to deal with and use the flexiblity of Drupal. How to use
Drupal is opinion and goal determined. Whether to use a page, story or
flexinode depends on your criterea and project needs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>In any case, I am going to be spending a
significant chunk of my time on IRC and in the handbook this weekend moving
things around in the next book. Feel free to start editing/improving
content in the Installation and Configuration book now and making it pretty
prett and conform to the handbook guidelines. The install section needs
another going over to reduce duplication add the 4.6.5 install.txt and add more
verbage and such still. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>After that is the developers
handbook. Mainly, there is a lot of duplication there in a few areas that
need to be addressed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>-sp</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> documentation-bounces@drupal.org on behalf
of puregin<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wed 1/11/2006 10:56 PM<BR><B>To:</B> A list for
documentation writers<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [documentation] Documentation
session in Vancouver<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<P><FONT size=2>Well, this should be a lively session!<BR><BR>On 11-Jan-2006, at
10:25 PM, Kieran Lal wrote:<BR><BR>> We need to prioritize opening up the
handbook for contributors.<BR><BR> This implies
having the right structure.<BR><BR> Parts of the
documenation are very amenable to this<BR>type of approach: FAQs, best
practices, how-to's,<BR>hacks (snippets).<BR><BR>
Others are not.<BR><BR> Completely opening up
the<BR>documentation without some kind of<BR>framework for control would
be rather<BR>like opening up Drupal CVS for<BR>anonymous
committers.<BR><BR> I'm rather inclined to
believe that<BR>there are fewer good technical<BR>writers in the house than
good<BR>programmers (though this may<BR>be because they've all run
away<BR>screaming)<BR><BR><BR>> I was just reading about the popularity of
Digg vs. Slashdot. Digg <BR>> is collective ranking where as
Slashdot is the personal preferences <BR>> of a handful of
editors. <A
href="http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/">http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/</A><BR>>
006081.html It scared me that we are just falling behind by
not <BR>> getting this collaborative nature of
contributions.<BR>><BR>> The documentation handbook is managed by a small
subset of the site <BR>> maintainers. It's time to drink the
cool-aid and open it up, or at <BR>> the very least make good use of
revisions :-)<BR>><BR>> Cheers,<BR>>
Kieran<BR>><BR>><BR>--<BR>Pending work: <A
href="http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/">http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/</A><BR>List
archives: <A
href="http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/">http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/</A><BR><BR></FONT></P></DIV>
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