[consulting] A defense for new users

[Chris Johnson]

Jeff Eaton wrote:

> In my dream world, I imagining drupal.org greeting new arrivals with
> basic options:  
> 
> [1]* Are you a developer, looking to develop or adapt a custom site
> framework? Click here to download [a stripped down] drupal core and
> learn more about the system...
> [2]* Are you a builder, looking to create a custom site from drupal modules
> and themes? Click here to learn more about Drupal site-recipes, and
> browse the modules directory...
> [3]* Are you a creator, looking to 'turn the key' and accomplish a task?
> Click here to download a Drupal Distribution and hit the ground
> running...
> 
> In that sort of world, the 'developers' in group 1 would probably not
> care about the admin streamlining you guys are working hard on. The
> builders in group 2 would probably find it very useful. And the people
> in group 3 might find it still too confusing -- they might need an admin
> panelgeared just towards the options they need for their particular site
> (ie, blogging/forum-oriented discussion/etc).

I think that's a very good summary of Drupal "users" as a whole.

I suspect that many of us fall into more than one category, depending on what 
we are doing, but the categories remain valid.  For example, when I build 
websites, I'm typically in the "builder" category (#2 above).  But when I use 
Drupal as the framework for my employer's applications, I'm in the developer 
(#1) category.  Likewise, when I help fix bugs or add features to core just 
for the satisfaction of being involved with the project.

I believe we can accommodate all 3 groups of users.  I think Jeff Eaton has 
outlined a way to do that.  By acknowledging and agreeing that they exist, 
focusing groups of resources directly at those specific groups (i.e. 
documentation, downloadable packages), and directing contributed work efforts, 
whether patches, modules, themes, documentation or other, with those 3 
categories in mind, we can satisfy the maximum number of all kinds of users as 
well as all kinds of contributors.

Eventually, there could even be dead-tree books written addressing those 
individual categories.

It's all good.  IMHO...

P.S. This topic might be better on the dev list.

..chrisxj