Getting Started Guide - Looking for Feedback/QA
Ekaterina G. Potapova
egeomar at mail.ru
Tue Feb 17 21:17:45 UTC 2009
I've found it rather quickly, sorry but I don't have time to find it for
you now.
Avi Hein wrote:
> Where is this list? I am on the DocTeam Wiki and do not see it under
> System Documentation or Wiki. I do see that under reviewing, that this
> list is listed as the place to provide comments about Ubuntu
> documentation. Is it hidden under a multitude of links?
>
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 11:03 PM, Ekaterina G. Potapova <egeomar at mail.ru
> <mailto:egeomar at mail.ru>> wrote:
>
> I
>
> look forward to contributing to Ubuntu.
>
> I'm very new at Ubuntu so I can hardly advice anything, but It seems
> to me that there are many tasks for DocTeam and you can choose
> something people do need at the moment and work on it. Sorry for
> introducing such a commonplace idea.
> Katya
>
>
> On Feb 17, 2009 10:47pm, "Ekaterina G. Potapova"
> <egeomar at mail.ru <mailto:egeomar at mail.ru>> wrote:
> > I want to add several words to the discussion, if it's
> possible. I'm quite new to Ubuntu as a whole and to DocTeam in
> particular. But I have experience in tech writing for many
> different companies, so I think I can judge a bit the quality of
> the Ubuntu docs. And actually since I started contributing, I
> appreciate greatly the way the workflow is organized and the
> way people work. So the idea that documentation is the weakest
> point and that it needs some revolutionary changes seems to me
> very doubtful or even absurd.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Katya
> >
> >
> >
> > Avi Hein wrote:
> >
> >
> > >
> >
> > OSS Watch -
> http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/documentation.xml
> >
> >
> > Actually, this is an article about docu mentation in general
> and discusses
> >
> > issues on management.
> >
> >
> > Is Documentation Holding Open Source Back? -
> >
> > http://www.devx.com/opensource/Article/11839
> >
> >
> > This is arguably an article discussing HCI principles rather
> than managing
> >
> > or writing documentation. Its also almost entirely mute
> because it neglects
> >
> > the fact that the predominant method for new users is to
> Google rather than
> >
> > follow a document hierarchy. He also repeatedly states that
> its an
> >
> > unscientific and unstructured approach to appraising
> documentation.
> >
> >
> > Linux.com wrote about the admirable FLOSS manual project
> >
> > (http://www.linux.com/feature/155205): "Documentation is one
> area in which free/libre/open source software (FLOSS) is
> weakest." That is what I meant, but we are working to improve this.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Don't even get me started on this. I had dealings with this
> project in the
> >
> > last run of the Desktop Training Team and their documentation
> is not really
> >
> > any different to ours. Its just the delivery method that is
> better (at
> >
> > least until Moin supports PDF generation on the fly).
> >
> >
> >
> > --> As I mentioned, my comments were not meant to refer to
> Ubuntu's
> >
> > documentation but rather a general statement that appears to
> be recognized
> >
> > today in the open source community. I hope to be able to help
> contribute to
> >
> > it, as I am a strong believer in the Ubuntu philosophy and
> the idea of a
> >
> > desktop-friendly distribution of Linux.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Much work has been done to improve these challenges, and so
> instead of attacking a poor phrasing of words, let's collaborate
> together, using professional standards, to improve the quality
> of Ubuntu's documentation.
> >
> >
> > Its not an attack, wording is the crux of what we do!
> >
> >
> > I apologize if anyone was offended and eagerly would ask for
> your feedback to improve the guide that I wrote (which will, in
> parts, be added to the community supported documentation and if
> anyone has suggestions for adding this to the official or
> community supported documenation either bundled with Ubuntu or
> on the website, I would be most grateful).
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > As Johnathon said, I'm not sure where this fits in and it is
> very similar to
> >
> > large chunks of the system documentation and the switching
> from windows
> >
> > guides.
> >
> >
> >
> > I am worried that you listed this as your copyright - draft
> or not, there
> >
> > are some very strong similarities to areas of our official
> documentation.
> >
> >
> >
> > --> I am releasing the final version of this specific doc
> under the GNU Free
> >
> > Doc license. It's the same license as GIMP's release.
> Obviously it wouldn't
> >
> > impede the official doc or anything anyone else has ever written.
> >
> >
> >
> > That said, there are good points and the only real niggles
> with what you've
> >
> > done are:
> >
> > 1. Kubuntu users are going to have a field day when they read
> the line
> >
> > "Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment" - I know what you
> mean but I'd
> >
> > suggest mentioning from the out set the difference between
> K/X/Ubuntu.
> >
> > 2. The book is very heavy on images, how do you plan to
> manage this for
> >
> > translation?
> >
> >
> >
> > --> Regarding point 1, I'm thinking about that but how do I
> do that without
> >
> > creating a separate doc for Kubuntu? I haven't used Kubuntu
> or the other
> >
> > versions, but would the procedures be different? I think it
> can be easily
> >
> > modified for X/Kubuntu. I'm more than open to suggestions.
> >
> >
> >
> > Regarding #2, you're right and on the basis of your
> suggestion, I can (and
> >
> > should have initially had it this way) change the desktop
> screenshot to
> >
> > numbering, which is the common way of doing this for
> localization. I should
> >
> > have done that initially and so thank you for pointing this
> out. Regarding
> >
> > the screenshots, I'm not sure how I can fix that except that
> a localizer can
> >
> > redo them. In general, I was taught that it's good to use
> images and
> >
> > screenshots but you raise a very good point.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks for suggestions and I will also be happy to make any
> edits to the
> >
> > official or community documentation that I can be of
> assistance on.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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