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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=803085019-30082006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>A block for recent content is certainly do-able. A
block for popular content should be do-able.</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> documentation-bounces@drupal.org
[mailto:documentation-bounces@drupal.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Laura
Scott<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, August 30, 2006 11:52 AM<BR><B>To:</B> A list
for documentation writers<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [documentation] The handbook
organization<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Ultimately I think one of the biggest barriers is what others have
raised, which is discoverability (findability) of the content. Having a
dynamically-generated hierarchical presentation with a few hand-coded
cross-links is inherently limiting, especially when "web 2.0" is all about
relational linking, cutting across hierarchies.
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>I'd like to propose that we look at taxonomy and how we might use it to
offer ways to cut across the vertical content structures. Taxonomy is always
one of the hardest matters to decide on in site development in my experience,
but done well it can really open up the content. Getting release tags on
various handbook pages was a step.</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>What about a next step? Can we get a little creative with
taxonomy/categories and some more custom views pages that highlight not just
section headings but most recent additions and most popular pages in that
"section"?</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>What would be the approach that could really open things up for us?</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Laura</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Aug 30, 2006, at 12:12 AM, Steven Peck wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
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<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greetings all.</FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>There is a post in the distant past that explains
the concepts of how and why the handbooks are ordered the way they
are. Printed out I believe Gunner Langmark said they were a thousand
pages. So for those new to the list, let's just bring folks up to
speed with memories rather then digging through the archive.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The About Drupal was to contain the history, what
we are, misc references to pretty sites any marketing and some general
knowledge stuff that didn't fit anywhere but were common questions.
One recent idea is that System requirements might be better there.
Thoughts? If so, we can move it. It's easy with the handy dandy
book module :D</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The installation and configuration guide is not
actually meant as the beginners guide to Drupal. IT can be if you
start at the beginning and click next. You will progress through
requirements, installation, general configuration to core modules then
contrib modules. Tossing in the Troubleshooting FAQ for the common
issue's and updating. This section was meant as a reference and a
resource.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The customization and theming was meant as the
bits and pieces that others had contributed that you could use to make a
site your own. It was not my original idea but someone else's that I
merely organized into logical divisions. It to is a
resource.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The developers handbook has always been a fairly
organic thing. The first pass organization was to try and organize it
so that it was in a logical context with other related items. It has
been tuned on a regular basis and some of the older content has been edited
and consolidated over the past several months.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>So. What's missing. The same thing
that has always been missing. Tutorials. Site-recipes was an
attempt to get people a place to put things. Bits and pieces or
complete how to's. We still need tutorials. We still need a
beginners manual. I always thought of a beginners manual as a
sequential series of steps with links to more expanded content in the other
books as needed. To help train people how to find information. A
lot of people that we get have little to no idea how to research so we have
to help them. That's why I answer with a series of links to the
relevant documentation so often in the forums. I am not saying rtm, I
am showing How to find the information so they can ask better questions next
time. Some of these folks are obvious part time guys (power users or
soon to be power users) and by teaching them the process they can use any IT
/ Internet resource more effectively.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Now I remember several of us being told by
several people (rather forcefully) that we didn’t understand anything and
how they were going to do it better and they were going to show everyone and
setup this site with all this documentation for new people. It's been
eight months now and I still don't see it so whatever efforts they made are
lost. So I will say again what I said then. If someone writes
it, we will find a place for it. If you have pictures, we can load
them up. In the beginning it would reside in the Installation
and configuration handbook but as it gained content (with the magic of
Drupal book module) we can easily add another book and have it reside
there. This will be of benefit to everyone.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>I had hoped to have time to finish this series
(</FONT><A href="http://www.blkmtn.org/book/drupal"><U><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.blkmtn.org/book/drupal</FONT></U></A><FONT
face=Arial size=2>) and go through an entire WINK presentation but frankly
my workload has been far more insane this year then predicted. On the
bright side, our new director is tired of us working 2-3 weekends a month as
well as evening hours all the time and is bringing on new people to reduce
the workload. (whew). On the other plus side my wife is 5 months
pregnant with our second, but this means a little less time with Drupal this
winter (She likes that I do this, it's a hobby that keeps me
home)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>So…. It's been eight months since I re-did the
handbook…. Anyone tried 4.8/5.0? Thoughts, suggestions? It's a
bit different. I have some rather radical thoughts but really want to
hear other people's suggestions first. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Steven</FONT> </P>
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