[documentation] [Documentation feature] Proposal: How to get more people involved with documentation

[Laura Scott]

On Jun 16, 2006, at 11:07 AM, Boris Mann wrote:

> On 16-Jun-06, at 9:52 AM, sime wrote:
>
>> There has been a lot of support for this, but all on the  
>> documentation mailing list.
>>
>> Just a reminder about the ticket. Love to see some of these  
>> comments added
>> http://drupal.org/node/67367
>
> So....I'm in favour of this. Always have been.
>
> Here's my devil's advocate view:

(I wonder, did the Vatican ever suspect their job description  
"devil's advocate" would come into such popular usage?)....


> As Kieran points out....the moderation queue gets very little  
> attention. If moderated pages don't get attention....who will be  
> checking over all these newly created and edited pages?
>
> I would like to see a steady effort by existing team members. I  
> myself go in fits and spurts, so I understand how hard it is to  
> keep up.
>
> Perhaps someone could
> a) write up the process for looking at and approving moderated  
> pages (I imagine it's there, if so, point to it)
> b) write a forum post calling for documentation helpers/gardeners,  
> pointing them at the process and getting their permissions upgraded.

I'm sure a forum post might help attract new people, but let's face  
it, there seem to be very few existing "team members" who actually  
have any sort of privileges to do anything beyond the average n00b  
user. I certainly am not the most prolific contributor, but I'm not  
at the bottom of the list, either, but I've never seen an edit tab on  
any page I did not write. Maybe I'm wrong, but going by my experience  
and the very few names on the handbook updates page, it seems that in  
actuality only a very small number of people actually have any sort  
of privileges to edit pages or take pages out of moderation.

I am a big believer in affordance in design. Provide the easy ability  
to do something, and more people do it. What would happen if we gave  
everyone who has contributed, say, 2 pages or more editing  
privileges? What would happen if people who have contributed could  
actually act on a handbook page where they saw an error or unclear  
passage? In other words, what if the Drupal site afforded editing  
ability for these people, inviting them to go ahead and take the  
initiative in an easier and more effective way than either clicking  
through dozens of screens to look for an existing issue or writing up  
yet another email to the list or adding yet another comment below the  
page in question?

We have a long list of Drupal members listed by number of  
contributions here: http://drupal.org/node/14205 -- and I would argue  
that they already have shown interest and initiative and good faith  
already. It seems like one way to empower people without throwing  
wide open the gates, the idea of which I think rightly gives some  
people pause.

Laura