sec=unclassified Website Documentation (Was: The value of separating the doc wiki)

[Dan McGarry]

Stoffers, Robert LAC wrote:
> Renaming the tread, sorry for hijacking the wiki one.

Thanks - I fired this off right before reading the plea to keep the two 
issues separate. 8^/

> Take a look at the link I provided in an earlier post. Suffice to say
> that we could still implement the "easy contribution website" idea
> using Docbook, Guide XML however is just much easier to learn.

Will do as soon as I can. Web is a little tenuous where I live, and 
terribly expensive - which is why I've had trouble keeping up to date 
with this stuff in the first place. 8^)

> My idea gleaned from the Gentoo site actually has the opposite
> affect, it allows anybody with a web browser to "check out" a copy of
> the XML source, make changes and submit a patch (a one line command).

Very cool. Will check this out.

> What I wouldn't want to see is a number of unofficial projects giving
> bad advice and breaking peoples systems. 

Good point. And a constant source of frustration wherever conventional 
wisdom in the form of 'works for me' comes into play.

> We experienced this with the
> ubuntuguide.org web site and many hours were wasted by IRC and forum
> users explaining how to fix systems that were broken after following
> such guides. The benefits of official documentation are numerous,
> such as ensuring the use of open systems and licences, accuracy and
> where that fails the *ability* to amend it directly. 

My biggest complaint about official documentation is that it can never 
be as comprehensive as we might want it to be. You're right, though, 
that systems with a low cost of entry at very least benefit from many 
eyes and a broader, often happier (because less harried) community.

Point taken about the unofficial contribs resource as well.

I'm off to check out the Gentoo docco project now. 8^)

Thanks!

-- 
Dan McGarry		it.psl at fsp.org.vu

IT Consultant
Community Communications Project