Hi Russell,

This is potentially more meta than you intend but a big thing we seem to be
missing from an administrators point of view is some guidance on how to ask
for assistance.  What information to include in a request for help, and
where to make it.  How to determine if you need more help, and what to
expect when you put it your request together.  We have precious little of
this type of leading documentation and usually it is the difference between
asking a meaningful question that prompts responses and not.

Something in the vein of
https://secure.phabricator.com/book/phabflavor/article/please_please_please/
but clearer and tailored for our audience.

I find myself asking for folks to share the actual error that is happening
often, instead of "x is broken".  Almost universally, "x is broken" is not
enough for anyone to help.  Tell us what you've tried, why you thought it
would work, and what you are trying accomplish, etc.

Best,

Chase

On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 4:32 PM, Russell Willerton <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi, all.
>
> My students and I are supporting work by the Technical Document
> Re-working Group
> <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Technical_Document_Re-working_Group> this
> semester. We are focusing on the Toolforge
> <https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Portal:Toolforge>documentation, and
> we'd like to know what you would find most helpful.
>
> If you're willing to answer a few questions about the Toolforge
> <https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Portal:Toolforge>documentation via
> email or video chat, please let me know by Friday, 23 February.
>
> Thank you,
> Russell Willerton
> [email protected]
>
> --
> Russell Willerton, Ph.D.
> Professor, Technical Communication
> English Department, Boise State University
> Office: Liberal Arts 211B * Voice mail #: 426-7089
> Book: *Plain Language and Ethical Action
> <http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415741040/> *from Routledge
>
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> [email protected] (formerly [email protected])
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>



-- 
Chase Pettet
chasemp on phabricator <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/p/chasemp/> and
IRC
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