[documentation] Contributors to docs need more public recognition

[Angela Byron]

Steve Dondley wrote:
> What's wrong with being as public as possible with patting people on
> the back?

Well, the things that I mentioned in my previous mails that were glossed 
over because of the ownership vs. maintainership clarification:

- A movement toward individual ownership of *handbook pages*, rather 
than community ownership of *the handbook*.
- Additional responsibility laid on the original author which currently 
doesn't exist.
- A bulls-eye on the forehead of anyone who contributes documentation, 
for easy target practice from people seeking support.
- Sticky questions about who "really" owns $page, when this often isn't 
clear or can even possibly be determined.
- Additional administrative overhead for docs team members who could 
instead just be writing and improving the docs.

> Do you think giving people more credit will help Drupal find more
> contributors? Yes or no? Because that's what this is really about.

The answer is, I don't know. It's certainly not a motivating factor for 
me, personally, nor apparently for the 700+ existing handbook 
contributors who are apparently fine and dandy with the existing level 
of credit they receive. However, I can clearly see that it's a 
motivating factor for you, which probably means that it's a motivating 
factor for some other people out there. Whether dumping a whole bunch of 
time and energy into creating some sort of credit system will pay off in 
a slew of new documentation contributions, I don't think anyone can say. 
I certainly don't think it's a no-brainer, though.

I'd be more +1 towards something like Greg suggests, where we make the 
list of handbook maintainers more clear, or even going as silly as 
adding little badges next to the names of anyone who contributes to the 
handbook. Make the recognition around the act of contributing to the 
'greater good' of the handbook itself, rather than personal glory around 
individual pages.

However, until/unless someone steps up to spec out and code something, 
this is all just theoretical discussion. I'm going to get back to coding 
now. ;)

-Angie