Author Topic: New LinuxMCE Documentation  (Read 25514 times)

Marie.O

  • Administrator
  • LinuxMCE God
  • *****
  • Posts: 3675
  • Wastes Life On LinuxMCE Since 2007
    • View Profile
    • My Home
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #15 on: September 30, 2012, 06:09:40 pm »
whenever I go to the wiki, I don't browse, I search. So searching for PXE and/or RAID does return the right information.

mcefan

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 89
    • View Profile
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2012, 09:51:54 pm »
whenever I go to the wiki, I don't browse, I search. So searching for PXE and/or RAID does return the right information.
There are several ways people acquire information.
People do not intuitively "search" when they get on a site. Instead, they "browse".
Information should be acquired in a progressive manner. Since you "own" the information, people expect you to lead them. Besides, when starting from scratch, how could you expect me to know what to search for? You post assumes I now what PXE is! What's that?
Also, even if I pull the right pages from an excellent search (assumes I got lucky typing the right terminology and the articles actually use the same words), what tells me that I am looking at the right information, and not missing something? I can search if I know: searches are based on pre-existing knowledge. Incomplete, but never the less, pre-existing.

Have you noted this from twodogs:
I often find it easier to find wiki articles from a Google search "LinuxMCE black screen" or whatever. Good info on a particular piece of hardware might be found by looking at the main page of the wiki under "Hardware", but maybe the info is in "Tutorials/Guides" or the "User Manual", or the FAQ, or maybe its floating around in the wiki at large.
The frustrated user then asks a question in the forums, where a frustrated Thom complains (rightly so) that he has answered that question a thousand times.
When people have to navigate away from your site and use google to find what's on the very site they are on, I'd say you have a problem: searches don't work. They don't, because things are not organized. You can not find info in a folder by searching another...

If you want a larger user base, you can not make any assumption. All blanks, including the "obvious" ones, must be filled. The best documentations are the ones that cover all user levels, from ignorant to creator.

Navigation is vital to a site. Most people get frustrated and quickly quit when there is no logical progression to follow, or when things are not simple, or when things are difficult to find. The reason why frequently accessed pages are included in shortcut menus is to give the most common starting points. People explore, and tend to take note of the related elements, and explore those also. That's why you make things available by sight.

I suggest some reading on the subject of information architecture, it will help the venture.



What about my requests?
« Last Edit: October 01, 2012, 12:33:18 am by mcefan »

mcefan

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 89
    • View Profile
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #17 on: September 30, 2012, 10:08:03 pm »
Our wiki is about as unfriendly as it can be. Want to know how to set up a RAID? Go to tutorials, but don't expect it to be under "R" - its under "C" for "Create RAID". Want to learn about PXE boot? Don't look at "P" - its under "G" fro "GRUB PXE network boot"

Well, it looks like you have a good handle on this problem. Why not rename the pages when you encounter that? You can do that by using the "move" tab on top of the page, and rename the article.

Which brings us to naming conventions.
When naming articles, as much as possible, start with a noun. This should be obtained from answering the question "what/who is it about"?
Once the subject matter is properly identified, we need to specify the action or characteristic at addressed in the article.

Example:
what/who is it about: booting
action or characteristic: from network - PXE
resulting title: booting from network - PXE

This will keep all boot related articles within proximity:

booting
booting locally
booting remotely
booting from network
booting from network - PXE
...

It makes it easier to place the articles in the right categories afterwards (when necessary).
The key is to identify the subject accurately.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2012, 12:38:34 am by mcefan »

mcefan

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 89
    • View Profile
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #18 on: October 01, 2012, 03:32:15 am »
Finding presupposes knowledge: knowledge of the location of what you are looking for.
To find it, you have to look for it where it is.

I created the following article to help with the thinking process:

« Last Edit: October 01, 2012, 03:34:20 am by mcefan »

mcefan

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 89
    • View Profile
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #19 on: October 02, 2012, 05:18:28 pm »
Who is the admin responsible for the configuration of the wiki?
We need some extensions in order to clean the clutter.

bongowongo

  • Moderator
  • wants to work for LinuxMCE
  • *****
  • Posts: 826
    • View Profile
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #20 on: October 02, 2012, 07:36:53 pm »
Who is the admin responsible for the configuration of the wiki?
We need some extensions in order to clean the clutter.

Dear mcefan,

I see a lot of knowledge and drive from your side. That is very admirable. Probably you know more about the wiki than me.
But we have to take into account your are fairly new to us. Wouldn't it a good idea to come into the IRC channel of the wiki #linuxmce-wiki @ irc.freenode.net. We can discuss some very interesting things you are posting. Please give an list of extensions/plugins you would like to see added and why.

mcefan

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 89
    • View Profile
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #21 on: October 03, 2012, 08:54:28 pm »
I'll meet you there!

mcefan

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 89
    • View Profile
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #22 on: October 06, 2012, 01:41:55 am »
The current documentation reads:

Offset: This causes the Orbiter to do backflips while reciting a poem backwards. (Just kidding. If you know what it does, please edit this section).

I need to replace that sentence. What does the option refer to?

Marie.O

  • Administrator
  • LinuxMCE God
  • *****
  • Posts: 3675
  • Wastes Life On LinuxMCE Since 2007
    • View Profile
    • My Home
Re: New LinuxMCE Documentation
« Reply #23 on: October 07, 2012, 09:59:39 am »
Offset is defined in our wiki under the av wizard iirc