Yet another unofficial Ubuntu guide

[Tony]

>"Dennis Kaarsemaker" <dennis at kaarsemaker.net> wrote in message 
> >news:1138969225.8819.9.camel at mirage.kaarsemaker.net...
>>On vr, 2006-02-03 at 18:56 +0700, Ananda Putra wrote:
>> http://easylinux.info/wiki/Ubuntu
>>
>> Very nice. Only in single page, simple.
>> This guide based on Ubuntu 5.10.
>
>Why do people keep doing this?!?! The documentation team needs help and
>yet people are only doing things by themselves. That is SO not
>helpful...

Speaking as a new Ubuntu user, if I hadn't of stumbled across these NG's on 
Gmane, I wouldn't have any idea that the user documentation existed.  It is 
not mentioned on the first page of Ubuntu.com and I expect a lot of people 
that are new to Ubuntu/Linux don't know what a "Wiki" is.  First thing I 
usually do when I have a problem is to do a Google search and the Wiki has 
never appeared in any search results thus far and I have never used the Wiki 
to find the answer to any set up problems I had.

I have found similar websites to those posted by the OP and it is those that 
I have used.  They are also easier to print off and have a read through than 
the Wiki - I can't see any way I can download and print the entire contents 
of the Wiki to have a read through.

So perhaps a little bit more explanation for newbies would be helpful, 
telling them that the Wiki is actually the user docs (or better still, have 
a"Users Docs" link from the first page of Ubuntu.com).  A bit of search 
engine optimisation might help as well.

Sorry if this sounds pretty basic to those "in the know" but Ubuntu is being 
installed by people who's only previous experience is windows and need basic 
pointers and hand holding.

Also sorry to say this, but given the choice I would rather use 
http://easylinux.info/wiki/Ubuntu as it is easier to follow and clearer than 
the Ubuntu Wiki.

Let me give you an example.  I've installed Ubuntu and its working okay but 
I want to find out how to share files over the network.  First page I look 
at is Ubuntu.com, read through looking for "help" pages.  Nothing there. 
Click on support tab and find documentation, click on help.Ubuntu.com (the 
first link offered.  Then click on Ubuntu Start Guide (Single Page) - page 
is headed Ubuntu FAQ guide but looks like the place I want to be - now to 
find file sharing - do a page search for sharing - nothing.

At this stage I give up, go to Google, find 
http://easylinux.info/wiki/Ubuntu - do a page search for sharing, click on 
the link, tells me what I need is a Samba server, install it and away I go.

Interestingly, if you do a Google search for "Ubuntu file sharing",  the 
Wiki is nowhere to be seen but there is a forum article where the poster 
says that the Official help guide was "way over his non-geek head" so that 
is probably why people produce unofficial help guides, in plain English to 
help us non-geeks!