On Sun, 9 May 2010, Rajko M. wrote:
On Sunday 09 May 2010 02:03:47 Jon Rocker wrote:
My intention is not to push it, but to present it, to demonstrate it, so that others can see and then we can discuss it further. I didn't know of any other way to effectively communicate or demonstrate what I meant.
That is OK.
I don't see SDB as a openSUSE problem area, but rather a place where people can get help and information. I think something like that should be flaunted and not hidden.
SDB was, since I ever heard of it, and it is now, place where are collected solutions for the problems with openSUSE. Definition is in the http://wiki.opensuse.org/Help:Namespace and I agree with definition, as long as the word problem, in that context, is interpreted as situation when openSUSE user needs help with technical aspects of software. The purpose is the same as different knowledge [data]base (kb)sections on other software vendors web sites.
Articles that present software and its abilities with examples of common usage (presentation), part of documentation that explains how to use software (manuals), and guides for people that used other operating system and now look how to accomplish common tasks in Linux (transition guides) are not SDB topics.
If the argument is that its on the left navigational blocs, then we should have all navigation that way. At least in my opinion.
The SDB is not on the left sidebar, but Support linked to the http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Support [1]. The Bentofluid skin is now default and it has different links then classic openSUSE skin.
My focus is for that of a visitor. How do they see the site? How easy is it for them?
We have many different types of visitors. People that installed openSUSE and have real technical problem are not the only category, nor majority [2]. We should not forget them, but giving disproportional attention to problems vs. regular use is unjust to majority and a bad way to present any software.
The Linux tradition is to address problems better then regular use, and it is present in any distribution, not only openSUSE. It served well traditional Linux users which are advanced computer users, but it doesn't cut to people that want computer to perform task, not to spend time learning its internals.
Do I have burn out? I don't think so. But again, that's my opinion.
Burnout or monochrome vision, it makes no difference to final effect, to serve only minor part of population that is using openSUSE. Majority of openSUSE users are happy campers since day one, and wiki should reflect that.
Besides, you are not the only one that has to fight old habits. Aversion to change is omnipresent. It is the way to conserve energy and served humanity efforts to survive for thousands of years.
************* [1] Portal:Support is created to lead users with problems, or perceived problems, to find a solution. New users can't distinguish between real technical problem and lack of knowledge about new software, so support has to help them to sort that out.
Our user support process is reflected in Portal:Support and it offers much more then SDB. We should not mislead users reading other articles to believe that SDB is all we have.
We can improve Portal:Support: * The present version is missing openFATE links that will explain users that they can propose new features, * Bugzilla and few more red links are asking for articles, * Sections can be rearranged, for instance by separating interactive and non- interactive options (use http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal_Talk:Support for proposals) * we can make use of other portals introductory sections (subpages) instead of writing our own descriptions, but that will put size limit on intros, or we have to find other way to extract only portion of the text on a intro page, * add again selected article and selected openSUSE member that is active in a support (not only wiki active) * and so on, but we should never try to bypass it when we refer user to general support page.
[2] Compare bugzilla to Coolo's statistics http://en.opensuse.org/Statistics users with real problems are not the majority that we should have in mind creating wiki content layout.
Many SDB articles that I have revised or creted are on how to do something
like remote installation of openSUSE. So many SDB articles that I use and
reference people to user are more than support. It is the only way they
are able to do .... So you may say this is support, but it is more
introduction to doing the task. They should not be barried. But have
easy access to them.
--
Boyd Gerber