Help topics vs. help triggers

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

On Jun 7, 2008, at 7:46 PM, Nick Ellery wrote:
> ...
> -- Perhaps a troubleshooting guide, similar to the one in the Official 
> Ubuntu Book would be good.  Issues with X, dpkg, and the like could be 
> added here
> ...

I agree there should be more troubleshooting advice in the help, but I 
don't think it should be in the form of a troubleshooting guide.

Ubuntu Help is arranged by topic: files and folders, music, photos, and 
video, keeping your computer safe, and so on. Troubleshooting, on the 
other hand, is an example of a trigger -- the frame of mind that sends 
someone into the help. Other triggers include "What does ______ mean?", 
"Where can I find ______?", and "Give me a quick overview of this 
topic".

In some cases a troubleshooting question will be solved by a page that 
isn't specifically intended for troubleshooting. That's why it's better 
to arrange help pages by topic than by trigger.

So an "I can’t open a folder" troubleshooting page should be in the 
"Files, folders, and documents" section. A "When I plug in my camera, 
nothing happens" troubleshooting page should be in the "Music, photos, 
and video" section. An "I get an error when I try to check for updates" 
troubleshooting page should be in the "Keeping your computer safe" 
section. And so on.

Perhaps those on this mailing list who frequent Ubuntu forums could 
write troubleshooting pages for the problems people most often report.

Cheers
-- 
Matthew Paul Thomas
http://mpt.net.nz/


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