Hi Gijs,
thank you very much for that detailed and competent analysis in such a
short time-frame.
Let me comment the most difficult question first: "Should it be a WIKI"?
My many links "for further details see: WIKI..." and also
several articles from me in the FGFS/wiki should reveal me as a
big believer in WIKI's, as well FGFS as also WIKIPEDIA. I even
have extracted some parts of the "current getstart.pdf" and put
them into the FGFSwiki (and just reffed them with a few words in
the manual). And I do want to do more of those! That way I also
hope to get the valuable WIKI-idea promoted to be used even
more, which would get them more attention and thus more chances
to get them updated in reasonable time-spans.
On the other hand: I believe WIKIs have their very big advantage
in unique details - not really in manuals! In my eyes each
product does need a manual that explains the "Basics" to the
customer and then shows him where to get more infos.(Yes: I
belong to the people looking into the manuals when buying a PC,
TV, Auto, etc.!). And that basics (in my eyes) should express
the "company's" (i.e. FlightGears inner devel circle)
involvement/direction/supervision! My concern is, that many
small pieces may be able to replace a manual at the beginning -
but over a longer timeframe they will change, specialize, and
lose their "connecting identities"! See the Curtis opening
problem! And also see todays WIKI: All the informations are
there - often in multiple versions and/or with different
focuses. They are fantastic for the guys knowing the basics and
thus what to look for - but difficult to select "what is needed"
by a newbie!
Surely it will be a big effort for anybody to keep it updated to
all future FGFS-changes! But I believe those are easier to
control in one single document under the Development
responsibility and a defined content in unique chapters - then
when the content is distributed in many small pieces without
defined ownership and/or responsibility. (Does anybody have the
slightest idea how many WIKIS are affected by the latest 2.4.0
changes??)
Based on that fear I tried to structure "the Basics" in some
unique Chapters that contain more technical dependencies and
those that are more for teaching and looking. So with a new
version you do not need to update everything - and what needs to
be updated is at one known location only - not distributed in
many uncontrollable pieces!
And still it would be relatively easy to convert that manual to
WIKI - if needed! Right now I would vote against it!
And yes, sorry: I have forgotten to mention the very useful forums - - I
will correct that!
One more hot item I would like to sell: Sidebars or drop downs
I decided against sidebars because of:
1) I wanted that book to be without any need for
executable, supporting sftw. like e.g.
"java" (virus-prone)
2) I tried it with sidebars - but then it becomes again
very confusing if headers are more than just one short
word. I hate indexes like now in the "getstart.pdf" -
where you have long headers going over several lines. I
like my solution that allows long, ease readable titles
-- and still have room for a nice picture to it!
2) There are still many "customers" with old tiny
screens - I rather wanted that valuable side-space for
big illustrations
4) Those top/sidebars become pretty much a standard for
industries and business pages - I thought my way gives
more the feeling of "private pilot" to "private
pilot" (I just did not yet find a place for the
beer-can!)
So I came up with that top menu-bar that stays there all the
time. From wherever you are in the text, you can always just
select any part in the bar (including the current one) and have
that index in an easy to read fashion. I know it is unusual and
may be one more mouse-click - but I personally like that more
private atmosphere.
But I would like to hear more comments to that.
Thank you very much for the many other hints - they all seem very
valuable - I will update accordingly.
And surely we will talk again when I have a feeling for how that new
style gets accepted inside the community.
Thank you
joe
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