[documentation] wiki style help pages

Wed Apr 2 13:05:14 UTC 2008

On Apr 2, 2008, at 12:41 AM, Steve Dondley wrote:

> Seems like a simple text link on top of every doc page that said:
>
> "Click here to help improve this document," or something to that
> effect, with a link to the appropriate page on how to contribute to
> documentation would be nice.

We currently have a "Suggest documentation improvements" link on every  
page in the Quick Links block. I agree that making it clearer/more  
prominent would be nice and this should be addressed in the redesign.  
People also seem to miss the "Add child page" link under every single  
page too (that *everyone* with a d.o account has - not just docs team)  
so I'd like that more prominent too. Definitely will happen in the  
redesign.

>
>
> I don't know what the thinking is behind the application for document
> contributors is. Perhaps the hurdle is there to improve the signal to
> noise ratio?

Pretty much yes. Adding new pages *is* open to everyone on d.o. The  
application to edit and move happened after a period in the past where  
those rights were open to everyone as well and the mess was too much  
to keep cleaned up by the few people actually working on it.

>
>
> One thing drupal's wiki feature lack is the ability to send out email
> notifications when a page is updated. I think this is a crucial
> feature that's needed before opening up documentation to every Tom,
> Dick, and Harry who wants to change a page. That feature should
> probably implemented before documentation became more open. This would
> make catching bad edits more timely.
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 2, 2008 at 12:28 AM,  <ricco at webulite.com> wrote:
>> Hi Shai,
>>
>> I would not call myself a programmer or a developer. I know some  
>> php, and
>> I maintain my Drupal install, and have done some mode... but I am  
>> talking
>> about (B) improving the usability of the drupal documentation.  
>> Since I am
>> a believer and user of the wiki asepcts of Drupal, I choose "Wiki" +
>> "Help" as the group, I would create. To imply "Help" with the "wiki"
>> stuff. But, I would be happy to help with documentation of more  
>> that wiki
>> functionality, if the Drupal system would install a wiki, for all  
>> their
>> documentation.
>>
>> Thanks for telling me that you can EDIT a wiki handbook if you join  
>> the
>> wiki documentation project. That for example is a pretty amazing
>> revelation. And you would think that instructions to do that would  
>> be on
>> the very first documentation page off the documentation tab.
>>
>> ... but I just went to http://drupal.org/project/documentation per  
>> your
>> suggestion, and I am logged in, and there is no link to join. I did  
>> start
>> following a few links, and headed to here; http://drupal.org/node/23367
>> and even there it does not indicate how to become a person that  
>> get's an
>> edit tab of doc pages. There is lots of talk about guidelines and  
>> how to
>> "submit an issues", etc... as you say it is a bit "tricky".
>>
>> The point being, it certianly is not easy... and perhaps that is  
>> why there
>> are only 240+ people on the doc team. Now on mediawiki.org my  
>> mother can
>> figure out how to add a sentence to any page in about 3 minutes.  
>> Why can
>> Drupal wiki's documentation be THAT easy? the more eyes and hands  
>> updating
>> the pages, they better documentation it will become. And it needs  
>> to be
>> Easy and Obvious for even the beginner to do it.
>>
>> This page; http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/ seems the
>> closest thing I have found to adding to the documentation. and then  
>> this;
>> http://drupal.org/node/240536 which seems to be a form that allows  
>> me to
>> request to join the doc team, but look at the extra pull downs and  
>> check
>> boxes I need to add. i have to decide what part of the team I want to
>> join, and what functionality I want to add to... god it just seems  
>> so damn
>> complex, certainly not inviting.  Does this mean if I pick the wrong
>> component type that I will not be able to edit other component  
>> pages, how
>> can I pick ALL?
>>
>> As you can see I am crying out for either direction to the hidden  
>> way of
>> viewing things differently than i have been to see what you see... or
>> trying to point out, that the documentation system is too complex  
>> to be
>> inviting to get people to join.
>>
>> Second... do the documentation pages allow FREELINKING, ie [[happy  
>> page]]
>> ? I got the impression that this was not supported in the  
>> documentation.
>>
>> I would be happy to join the #drupal-support or some other channel if
>> someone can walk me though understanding this.
>>
>> Cheers! Ricco
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Hi Ricco,
>>>
>>> I'm still confused after reading your e-mail which of the  
>>> following is
>>> your
>>> primary passion right now:
>>>
>>> a. making Drupal, the software, a really great platform for wiki
>>> implementations
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> b. improving wiki functionality for the documentation sections at
>>> Drupal.org
>>> .
>>>
>>> Though you can argue that a and b are certainly related, I think  
>>> it would
>>> help folks to understand which of the two is your first interest  
>>> in order
>>> to
>>> figure out the best way for you to get involved.
>>>
>>> As an FYI, in order to see the "edit" tab on documentation pages at
>>> drupal.org, one need only join the documentation team, by  
>>> submitting a
>>> request at http://drupal.org/project/documentation.
>>>
>>> It can be a little tricky figuring out exactly how and where to  
>>> help in
>>> Drupal, especially at the beginning. But I really hope you figure  
>>> it out.
>>> I
>>> myself am very much interested in developing wiki functionality on a
>>> couple
>>> of sites right now and I too think that Drupal can be way more  
>>> powerful
>>> with
>>> easier UI than Mediawiki.
>>>
>>> All the best,
>>>
>>> Shai
>>> content2zero <http://content2zero.com>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Pending work: http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/
>> List archives: http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Prometheus Labor Communications, Inc.
> http://prometheuslabor.com
> 413-572-1300
>
> Communicate or Die: American Labor Unions and the Internet
> http://communicateordie.com
> --
> Pending work: http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/
> List archives: http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/