Re: [GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
Adrien Monteleone writes: > Yeah, those seem to be internal to the wiki, not an external broken > link. But then, if the page itself isn’t changing, just the named > anchor, it might not matter. The page still exists, so someone > clicking an FAQ link from a mailing list message will still get > dropped into the same page, but if the named anchor is not found, > they’ll be focused to the top of the page rather than the intended > place. Essentially then that named anchor will function as a basic > page anchor which is just fine. I think it would still matter. Often we use the anchor to point users to a specific question. Let's assume a question gets rephrased. That will change the anchor. The GOOD news is that following the link to the old phrasing will still get you to the right page, but it wont get you to the specific question on the page (because the anchor changed). If this happens, the user might not know what (rephrased) question answers the question they were trying to answer. This is why we would want a redirect. I SUPPOSE that I can fix this via some htaccess redirects, but it would be better if the redirection could happen within the wiki itself. > Regards, > Adrien -derek -- Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board (SIPB) URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/PP-ASEL-IA N1NWH warl...@mit.eduPGP key available ___ gnucash-devel mailing list gnucash-devel@gnucash.org https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
Re: [GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
Yeah, those seem to be internal to the wiki, not an external broken link. But then, if the page itself isn’t changing, just the named anchor, it might not matter. The page still exists, so someone clicking an FAQ link from a mailing list message will still get dropped into the same page, but if the named anchor is not found, they’ll be focused to the top of the page rather than the intended place. Essentially then that named anchor will function as a basic page anchor which is just fine. Regards, Adrien > On Sep 5, 2018, at 11:13 AM, Derek Atkins wrote: > > I feel like MediaWiki also has a way to fix that, too, but it may only > work at a page level and not at an anchor level. > > c.f. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Redirect > and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Section#Section_linking_and_redirects > > -derek > > On Tue, September 4, 2018 12:42 pm, Adrien Monteleone wrote: >> Broken links can be handled by permanent redirects in the web server’s >> .htaccess file. I think Derek would be the one to add those in. If you >> compile the list for him to copy & paste, I’m sure that would help. The >> end result is someone can click the old link from the mailing list and the >> server will drop them in the new location. >> >> On a content note, I suspect you could have three separate headings for >> “Managing GnuCash files”, “Configuring GnuCash” and “Customizing GnuCash”. >> I’m thinking the latter to be more geared towards things like CSS and >> where to put custom reports, while ‘Configuring’ is more related to >> tweaking the app preferences. >> >> Regards, >> Adrien >> >>> On Sep 4, 2018, at 9:43 AM, David T. via gnucash-devel >>> wrote: >>> >>> Hello, >>> >>> I am digging in to the FAQ page with an eye to rationalizing the >>> accumulated mess. My hope is to make it easier for uers to find answers >>> to their questions. >>> >>> Currently, the structure of the page does not accurately reflect the >>> content of the questions. For example, the section “Installation >>> Troubleshooting” covers two broad and disparate question areas. >>> >>> In addition, numerous questions have been placed haphazardly in sections >>> to which they do not belong. For example, questions about theming do not >>> belong under Installation (for Mac or Windows), but IMHO under “GnuCash >>> Files and managing a GnuCash installation”, which itself would be better >>> named “Configuring and Managing” >>> >>> On a practical level, as I rearrange the FAQ on some pretty substantial >>> levels, questions and headings on the page will be changed. >>> >>> First issue: I do not see a way to see whether the wiki has any >>> instances of links to a specific question. Clicking “What links here” >>> only shows links to the overall FAQ page. >>> >>> Second issue: many links from the mailing lists will no longer work, >>> which may cause problems for users searching the ML archives and >>> retrieving the stale links. How should this be handled? >>> >>> Now, on a meta-level, I think the primary headings here might be better >>> arranged as follows: >>> >>> 1. General Questions >>> [move “Accounting Questions” to this section] >>> 2. Installation >>> 3. Using GnuCash [moved ahead of cunfiguring] >>> 4. Configuring and Managing >>> [Move “Customizing" questions from current section 8 to this section] >>> 5. Troubleshooting >>> 6. Exporting and Importing Data >>> 7. Business Features >>> [Move entire Developing GnuCash section of questions to the pages >>> established for Developers] >>> >>> I welcome input and feedback. >>> >>> David >>> >>> >>> ___ >>> gnucash-devel mailing list >>> gnucash-devel@gnucash.org >>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel >> >> >> ___ >> gnucash-devel mailing list >> gnucash-devel@gnucash.org >> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel >> > > > -- > Derek Atkins 617-623-3745 > de...@ihtfp.com www.ihtfp.com > Computer and Internet Security Consultant > > ___ gnucash-devel mailing list gnucash-devel@gnucash.org https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
Re: [GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
I feel like MediaWiki also has a way to fix that, too, but it may only work at a page level and not at an anchor level. c.f. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Redirect and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Section#Section_linking_and_redirects -derek On Tue, September 4, 2018 12:42 pm, Adrien Monteleone wrote: > Broken links can be handled by permanent redirects in the web server’s > .htaccess file. I think Derek would be the one to add those in. If you > compile the list for him to copy & paste, I’m sure that would help. The > end result is someone can click the old link from the mailing list and the > server will drop them in the new location. > > On a content note, I suspect you could have three separate headings for > “Managing GnuCash files”, “Configuring GnuCash” and “Customizing GnuCash”. > I’m thinking the latter to be more geared towards things like CSS and > where to put custom reports, while ‘Configuring’ is more related to > tweaking the app preferences. > > Regards, > Adrien > >> On Sep 4, 2018, at 9:43 AM, David T. via gnucash-devel >> wrote: >> >> Hello, >> >> I am digging in to the FAQ page with an eye to rationalizing the >> accumulated mess. My hope is to make it easier for uers to find answers >> to their questions. >> >> Currently, the structure of the page does not accurately reflect the >> content of the questions. For example, the section “Installation >> Troubleshooting” covers two broad and disparate question areas. >> >> In addition, numerous questions have been placed haphazardly in sections >> to which they do not belong. For example, questions about theming do not >> belong under Installation (for Mac or Windows), but IMHO under “GnuCash >> Files and managing a GnuCash installation”, which itself would be better >> named “Configuring and Managing” >> >> On a practical level, as I rearrange the FAQ on some pretty substantial >> levels, questions and headings on the page will be changed. >> >> First issue: I do not see a way to see whether the wiki has any >> instances of links to a specific question. Clicking “What links here” >> only shows links to the overall FAQ page. >> >> Second issue: many links from the mailing lists will no longer work, >> which may cause problems for users searching the ML archives and >> retrieving the stale links. How should this be handled? >> >> Now, on a meta-level, I think the primary headings here might be better >> arranged as follows: >> >> 1. General Questions >> [move “Accounting Questions” to this section] >> 2. Installation >> 3. Using GnuCash [moved ahead of cunfiguring] >> 4. Configuring and Managing >> [Move “Customizing" questions from current section 8 to this section] >> 5. Troubleshooting >> 6. Exporting and Importing Data >> 7. Business Features >> [Move entire Developing GnuCash section of questions to the pages >> established for Developers] >> >> I welcome input and feedback. >> >> David >> >> >> ___ >> gnucash-devel mailing list >> gnucash-devel@gnucash.org >> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel > > > ___ > gnucash-devel mailing list > gnucash-devel@gnucash.org > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel > -- Derek Atkins 617-623-3745 de...@ihtfp.com www.ihtfp.com Computer and Internet Security Consultant ___ gnucash-devel mailing list gnucash-devel@gnucash.org https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
Re: [GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
Broken links can be handled by permanent redirects in the web server’s .htaccess file. I think Derek would be the one to add those in. If you compile the list for him to copy & paste, I’m sure that would help. The end result is someone can click the old link from the mailing list and the server will drop them in the new location. On a content note, I suspect you could have three separate headings for “Managing GnuCash files”, “Configuring GnuCash” and “Customizing GnuCash”. I’m thinking the latter to be more geared towards things like CSS and where to put custom reports, while ‘Configuring’ is more related to tweaking the app preferences. Regards, Adrien > On Sep 4, 2018, at 9:43 AM, David T. via gnucash-devel > wrote: > > Hello, > > I am digging in to the FAQ page with an eye to rationalizing the accumulated > mess. My hope is to make it easier for uers to find answers to their > questions. > > Currently, the structure of the page does not accurately reflect the content > of the questions. For example, the section “Installation Troubleshooting” > covers two broad and disparate question areas. > > In addition, numerous questions have been placed haphazardly in sections to > which they do not belong. For example, questions about theming do not belong > under Installation (for Mac or Windows), but IMHO under “GnuCash Files and > managing a GnuCash installation”, which itself would be better named > “Configuring and Managing” > > On a practical level, as I rearrange the FAQ on some pretty substantial > levels, questions and headings on the page will be changed. > > First issue: I do not see a way to see whether the wiki has any instances of > links to a specific question. Clicking “What links here” only shows links to > the overall FAQ page. > > Second issue: many links from the mailing lists will no longer work, which > may cause problems for users searching the ML archives and retrieving the > stale links. How should this be handled? > > Now, on a meta-level, I think the primary headings here might be better > arranged as follows: > > 1. General Questions > [move “Accounting Questions” to this section] > 2. Installation > 3. Using GnuCash [moved ahead of cunfiguring] > 4. Configuring and Managing > [Move “Customizing" questions from current section 8 to this section] > 5. Troubleshooting > 6. Exporting and Importing Data > 7. Business Features > [Move entire Developing GnuCash section of questions to the pages > established for Developers] > > I welcome input and feedback. > > David > > > ___ > gnucash-devel mailing list > gnucash-devel@gnucash.org > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel ___ gnucash-devel mailing list gnucash-devel@gnucash.org https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
Re: [GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
Frank,
I will begin with noting that I think that it was not entirely clear in my post
that I was presenting only the top-level headings for the FAQ in this email; I
was not prepared to re-align every level in the FAQ at this point.
> On Sep 4, 2018, at 4:02 PM, Frank H. Ellenberger
> wrote:
>
> Hi David,
>
> at first thanks for starting with this task.
>
> Am 04.09.2018 um 16:43 schrieb David T. via gnucash-devel:
>> Now, on a meta-level, I think the primary headings here might be better
>> arranged as follows:
>>
>> 1. General Questions
> Perhaps the title should be more specific. Abstract
The existing entry is "General Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about GnuCash".
I was merely cleaning up the heading to make it more reasonable. I have no
problems with a “General Questions” section. Perhaps others have suggestions
here.
> About the project, how {this page is organized [missing]}, howw to get
> help (and provide required information, and give something back (from
> feedback to patches).
About the project belongs on the website or on the main page, not as an FAQ
entry.
How this page is organized *should* be clear from the main headings, which is
what I am working on rationalizing.
I duplicated the first FAQ entry "How to Get Help" at the very top of the FAQ,
to bring greater prominence to this issue. I additionally left this as the
first entry in the FAQ. Further, there is an entry on the topic on the main
wiki page. Fourth, there is a “Getting Help" link on the main web page, which
links to a separate "Getting Help” page on the wiki
(https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Getting_Help
). Honestly, how many more pointers
to the help do we need?
Noting my comment above about only presenting at the top level in this first
pass, I note that there are currently 4 second level sections in “General
Questions,” (“General”, Contributing, Troubleshooting and Improvements, and
Mailing List Questions) and that one or more of these sections might remain
going forward. I will note that many of these issues are already incorporated
into other pages on the wiki—or should be, IMHO—and that as I work through the
sections, I am predisposed to relying on those pages, rather than a monolithic
and overly-dense FAQ page to keep track of it all.
For example, the fourth top level section on the Main page of the wiki is
entirely dedicated to giving back to the project. It would be my preference to
see the pages and references on the main page serve as the primary source of
information on these topics, and a single brief entry on the FAQ that points
the questoner to those pages.
>
>> [move “Accounting Questions” to this section]
> Please do not, I see “Accounting Questions” more or less as "Off topic"
> there are spcefic websites which can answer such questions according the
> local law.
…except that a) general accounting questions are exceedingly common on the
mailing lists, and b) these questions are already on the wiki. In the past, you
have strongly advocated for including information on the wiki based on these
two criteria; why change that now?
>
> For me there is a logical sequence: Install, configure/customize, use.
>> 2. Installation
>> 3. Using GnuCash [moved ahead of cunfiguring]
> No, before you should configure/customize your installation.
This could go either way—but allow me to share my reasoning behind this
arrangement. For *most* users, the first hurdle they will encounter after
installation will NOT be configuring and customizing their brand new accounting
software package; it’s going to be to run the program and try to figure out how
to do basic things with said program. Questions about how to reconfigure
GnuCash (which is what most of the entries under Configuring currently are)
come *after* a user has been using the program for a while. Indeed, some users
NEVER attempt to load a different font for their GnuCash.
That being said, there are a large number of these questions that by rights
should be eliminated as duplicates of information in more official
documentation locations. The entries for Filenames and Backups are prime
examples. I don’t believe I would simply remove these questions from the FAQ,
since they are so perennially-asked. However, I *am* again predisposed to
streamlining these questions and moving the pertinent information to a separate
page in the wiki.
>
>> 4. Configuring and Managing
>> [Move “Customizing" questions from current section 8 to this section]
> yes
>
>> 5. Troubleshooting
> Please insert no separate Troubleshooting. It would lead to duplicate
> sections.
Currently, the heading is “Installation Troubleshooting” and contains
installation questions and a whole lot of other crap that doesn’t belong under
Installation. *That* is an excellent recipe for duplication of information, as
evidenced by the current state of information on the wiki, IMHO. Having a
separate
Re: [GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
Hi David,
at first thanks for starting with this task.
Am 04.09.2018 um 16:43 schrieb David T. via gnucash-devel:
> Now, on a meta-level, I think the primary headings here might be better
> arranged as follows:
>
> 1. General Questions
Perhaps the title should be more specific. Abstract
About the project, how {this page is organized [missing]}, howw to get
help (and provide required information, and give something back (from
feedback to patches).
> [move “Accounting Questions” to this section]
Please do not, I see “Accounting Questions” more or less as "Off topic"
there are spcefic websites which can answer such questions according the
local law.
For me there is a logical sequence: Install, configure/customize, use.
> 2. Installation
> 3. Using GnuCash [moved ahead of cunfiguring]
No, before you should configure/customize your installation.
> 4. Configuring and Managing
> [Move “Customizing" questions from current section 8 to this section]
yes
> 5. Troubleshooting
Please insert no separate Troubleshooting. It would lead to duplicate
sections.
> 6. Exporting and Importing Data
> 7. Business Features
In theory 6 & 7 are subsections of 3
> [Move entire Developing GnuCash section of questions to the pages
> established for Developers]
No, there should be only one FAQ. Because it might not interest most
users , it is at the bottom.
I am pretty sure, if we would break the FAQ in parts we would end with a
bunch of duplicated sections.
> I welcome input and feedback.
As you have already started, I would prefer - like for patches - smaller
changesets (move section x into...). Diff is not very smart and it is
now almost impossible to see what really changed.
Why did you remove the table to the official docs? Many questions are
already answered there.
> David
Frank
___
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Re: [GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
> On Sep 4, 2018, at 7:43 AM, David T. via gnucash-devel > wrote: > > Hello, > > I am digging in to the FAQ page with an eye to rationalizing the accumulated > mess. My hope is to make it easier for uers to find answers to their > questions. > > Currently, the structure of the page does not accurately reflect the content > of the questions. For example, the section “Installation Troubleshooting” > covers two broad and disparate question areas. > > In addition, numerous questions have been placed haphazardly in sections to > which they do not belong. For example, questions about theming do not belong > under Installation (for Mac or Windows), but IMHO under “GnuCash Files and > managing a GnuCash installation”, which itself would be better named > “Configuring and Managing” > > On a practical level, as I rearrange the FAQ on some pretty substantial > levels, questions and headings on the page will be changed. > > First issue: I do not see a way to see whether the wiki has any instances of > links to a specific question. Clicking “What links here” only shows links to > the overall FAQ page. > > Second issue: many links from the mailing lists will no longer work, which > may cause problems for users searching the ML archives and retrieving the > stale links. How should this be handled? > > Now, on a meta-level, I think the primary headings here might be better > arranged as follows: > > 1. General Questions > [move “Accounting Questions” to this section] > 2. Installation > 3. Using GnuCash [moved ahead of cunfiguring] > 4. Configuring and Managing > [Move “Customizing" questions from current section 8 to this section] > 5. Troubleshooting > 6. Exporting and Importing Data > 7. Business Features > [Move entire Developing GnuCash section of questions to the pages > established for Developers] > > I welcome input and feedback. David, It’s painful, but I think the only way to find links to specific anchors is to copy the (old) question and paste it into the search field. You should get a context menu, the last line of which is “contains xxx”. Click that. Fortunately if you just move questions without rephrasing them it won’t affect the anchors at all. Regards, John Ralls ___ gnucash-devel mailing list gnucash-devel@gnucash.org https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
[GNC-dev] Wiki FAQ Page
Hello, I am digging in to the FAQ page with an eye to rationalizing the accumulated mess. My hope is to make it easier for uers to find answers to their questions. Currently, the structure of the page does not accurately reflect the content of the questions. For example, the section “Installation Troubleshooting” covers two broad and disparate question areas. In addition, numerous questions have been placed haphazardly in sections to which they do not belong. For example, questions about theming do not belong under Installation (for Mac or Windows), but IMHO under “GnuCash Files and managing a GnuCash installation”, which itself would be better named “Configuring and Managing” On a practical level, as I rearrange the FAQ on some pretty substantial levels, questions and headings on the page will be changed. First issue: I do not see a way to see whether the wiki has any instances of links to a specific question. Clicking “What links here” only shows links to the overall FAQ page. Second issue: many links from the mailing lists will no longer work, which may cause problems for users searching the ML archives and retrieving the stale links. How should this be handled? Now, on a meta-level, I think the primary headings here might be better arranged as follows: 1. General Questions [move “Accounting Questions” to this section] 2. Installation 3. Using GnuCash [moved ahead of cunfiguring] 4. Configuring and Managing [Move “Customizing" questions from current section 8 to this section] 5. Troubleshooting 6. Exporting and Importing Data 7. Business Features [Move entire Developing GnuCash section of questions to the pages established for Developers] I welcome input and feedback. David ___ gnucash-devel mailing list gnucash-devel@gnucash.org https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
