[drupal-docs] Dead links in documentation

[Kobus Myburgh]

I think the note on the top in combination with the screenshots option is the way to go as these 404 and 403 links are simply not a good thing for people who want to read the documentation or see how it looks. We must remember, even though your arguments about seeing that the links work is valid, that the documentation is not written for us, it is for the user.

Regards,

Kobus


>>> cel4145 at cyberdash.com 9/23/2005 3:40:42 PM >>>
The documentation for those modules serves to purposes:

1) Documentation for users in the handbook
2) A place for us to construct and update the documentation that will 
eventually exist in the admin/help within Drupal itself. The current 
links allow us to see if the links are correct (even if they do 404).

So the optimum solution would increase usability for (1) but also 
satisfies usability for (2).

Now one thing I will point out is that many people using those pages 
need to know that the documentation exists in the admin/help, too. So 
perhaps a note at the top:

<i>This documentation applies to Drupal 4.x and is available through 
administer >> help in your Drupal installation with live links to the 
relevant configuration options</i>

I can also suggest a variation on your suggestion, but it doesn't help 
with (2) very much. Rather than links to a live demo site, links to 
screenshots of the pages in question.

Kobus Myburgh wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> This issue was mentioned before, and this exists in almost EVERY module's handbook page. Here is an example, from poll module's page[1], but it has not been addressed yet:
> 
> <snip>
> You can
> 
> view the polls page. 
> administer >> content >> configure >> poll. 
> </snip>
> 
> When clicking the links, you end up at a "Page not found" link. The reason this happens may be because:
> 
> 1. The particular module is not installed on the site (404)
> 2. The user doesn't have access to that page (403)
> 
> There might be more reasons that I am unaware of, but it is not good for a user to end up at a dead link, one way or another. I suggest this again - remove the links completely, or set up a demo site which will be refreshed hourly, where everyone can have full access all the time. The first is most probably the most desirable and managable.
> 
> Comments, suggestions or alternative solutions anybody?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Kobus
> 
> [1] http://drupal.org/handbook/modules/poll 
> 
> 
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