this really looks great. However, I would like to rearrange the links a
little bit:
Yup... you're right. The links as they are, are not the final layout or
anything close. We are still looking at the technical aspects of how
present the information. Feel free to rearrange them into something
that looks better. The Talk:Documentation/testpage or the
Documentation_new pages are not just to look at... everyone can have a
go at them, edit them... shuffle things around a little etc. We can
also make copies and create new test pages.
- remove the artificial split up between Topics and Resources. Users who
want help and information don't care if they get help from a topic or a
resource information source.
That means we need a good list of topics or entry points for people use
to find the docs they need. The list of topics there was a quick list
to show what is possible, not a final list.
We need to find out (or make an educated guess) who the Wiki
users/readers are, what the high level tasks are and what docs we have.
- clearly divide the information sources between "User Help" and
"Developer/Admin Help". The links to developer/admin information only
distract normal users from finding help.
That is the direction the Topics and Resources lists are going, although
the actual content of those columns isn't necessarily in the right
places yet.
- Add a highly visible link to "How to improve the help". This is a Wiki
at all, and we want the user to participate and share.
We can do that in the same way it is done on the existing Documentation
Wiki page (the box on the right)... or if there is a better way?
- No normal user should need to scroll down to find the most often
wanted help information. No user should be urged to read one and a half
column of links and text until he/she finds the FAQ or the How Tos.
OK, but also you cannot put all links to all documents in one spot at
the top of the page... nor is it reasonable to put 4 links on the main
page and ask the user to click through 6 Wiki layers to find the info
they need or want. There is a lot of information on the Documentation
Wiki and we need to find a balance between putting it all on the main
Documentation page like it is now, and hiding some of it in subpages or
hidden text sections... and of course we also need to work within the
limitations of what is possible on the Wiki.
- The link to Forums currently doesn't work.
Yes, that's true... there is an error in the Template that is used for
this part. The Template needs to be fixed.
An additional link to the
mailing lists main page should be added.
OK good point. You can add it if you want :-)
- The link names and the descriptions should contain the terms that user
are used to search when they want help. For example, user who search the
manuals don't find any manuals now. They are named different - but how?
OK, what terms? Everyone can edit the testpage (or create another page)
and add some examples if they have some ideas. What terms are people
looking for? How are they searching? Are they using Google? Will they
use the new Search box that we have added to the Documentation Wiki
page? Will they find the topic areas to be the "right" topic areas?
I don't know if we can even answer a lot of these questions, but we do
need to take at least some of it into consideration as we work toward a
better Documentation Wiki.
The questions I asked in the last message:
- Who are the people looking for info? The audience?
- What are the high level tasks that we can use for grouping topics?
- What books and content do we actually have?
are along the same lines as the ones you've raised... and they don't
have clear answers just yet.
C.
--
Clayton Cornell [EMAIL PROTECTED]
StarOffice - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Hamburg, Germany
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