Our new documentation (going through proofing now) is almost 40 pages in
it's current state -
We will take your feedback into consideration before we release it - you
raise some good issues.
Thanks for your feedback...
Scott Allan
Director, OpenSRS
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Thu, 24 Aug 2000, Charles Daminato wrote:
> Please read through for my response(s)...
>
> I'm using the assumption that you're using the QuickStart (Reseller Web
> Interface) method for registering domain names...
>
> Jon Ribbens wrote:
> >
> > We have just set up as an OpenSRS RSP, after having previously always
> > used Network Solutions (<spit>).
> >
> > The OpenSRS system appears to be very nice, but it is woefully
> > under-documented. I strongly suggest that a 'guide for people who
> > used netsol previously' would be a good idea.
> >
> > Our main points of confusion currently are:
> >
> > * "Contact Information"
> >
> > Many of the forms ask for "contact information". No explanation of
> > what this means is supplied. It appears to mean "information that
> > will be used for both admin contact and domain owner", but we are
> > not entirely sure about that.
> >
>
> Upon initial registration through this interface "Contact Information"
> becomes "Organization Contact/Registrant" and "Admin Contact"
>
> > * OpenSRS mistakenly assumes customers control domains
> >
> > OpenSRS appear to assume that all customers know all about domain
> > names, and wish to control the domain, edit the nameservers, etc,
> > themselves. This is not the case. In practice this means that
> > for domain registration, domain transfers, etc, we have to register
> > the domain with all details set to ourselves, and then change the
> > domain owner to be the real owner. It may be possible to get around
> > this by editing the client-side scripts, but I suspect the problem
> > is deeper than that since, e.g. the 'Domain Order Edit Form' for
> > looking at pending orders provides no way of specifying the admin
> > contact, and I would expect this form to enable editing of all
> > aspects of an order.
> >
>
> This is possible to get around by editing the client-side scripts - we've
> setup the default as "Owner = controller" as this works for the majority
> of cases. The web based interface is meant to be limited for
> registrations - it's a stop-gap to enable you to register domains while
> you get the scripts up and running (which is our MUCH preferred method of
> domain registration).
>
> > * Domain management "profile"
> >
> > No explanation of these is given, or how they work. They appear to
> > be linked to domain names (i.e. the same username at different domains
> > may be different users) but also not (sometimes the same username
> > at different domains may be the same user). No guidance is given as to
> > how to organise the profiles. I suspect that for the ISP model which
> > OpenSRS is assuming (where the customer is computer-literate and edits
> > their own domains) the ISP should register all domains with a single
> > profile (so they can, e.g. update the tech contact) and then create
> > a sub-user for the customer, but I am only guessing.
> >
>
> Each domain registered has a username/password associated to it for
> profile management. You can have one profile with many domains (by
> registering a domain and associating it with a previous domain
> registration - possible with the scripts and default web page) or have a
> one-to-one relationship between domains and profile management
> information. We've left the model open for whatever you wish to impose on
> your customers - it's left wide open ... The way it's setup allows the
> greatest number of iterations to allow the RSP to have as much control as
> they want, and give the end user as much control as you wish them to have
> as well.
>
> > There are many other inconsistencies and confusing pages - for example,
> > the "Change Ownership of Domain" page in the management interface asks
> > for a username and password without any explanation of whether these are
> > a new username and password, the old username and password, what
> > 'changing owernship' means, etc. The RSP options are spread randomly between
> > various badly-named pages - "emergency contact information" contains many
> > things which are nothing of the sort, "tech contact information" links
> > to a page with a different title, and no explanation is given of whether
> > the "tech contact" is the tech contact for the RSP, or the default tech
> > contact for domains registered through the RSP. The documentation goes
> > on at length about "RCU"s, but these are not used on the site, instead
> > dollar amount are used (which is much more sensible anyway). There doesn't
> > appear to be any information on how the contacts are used, in particular
> > for renewals - does OpenSRS contact someone? If so, who? When? How?
>
> Yes, Change Ownership of Domain is somewhat ambiguous. The subtext DOES
> say "You may create a new profile for this domain or move it to a
> different profile you own" I agree that instructions for doing so aren't
> well articulated. We're working on an FAQ for each specific interface to
> help with common questions (i.e. what does "Change Ownership of Domain"
> mean, and "How do move domains into/away from other profiles").
>
> "Emergency Contact Information" has (firstly) a place where we must get
> verifiable contact information from you (the database is populated
> initially with your Technical Contact Information). The rest is just so
> you can specify different email addresses for different system messages -
> some of these are also configurable elsewhere (i.e. Payment Email).
>
> The description of what "Technical Contact Information" *is* is included
> in the documentation available on the website - it explains much of this
> interface.
>
> RCU's *are* used by the site - as well as Dollar amounts. One RCU is a
> domain transaction (i.e. transfer, renewal, new registration)
>
> Renewals are on the way - more info to come *my apologies for this*
>
> >
> > Technically, OpenSRS appears to be great. But please, get someone who
> > knows how to document things to (a) go through your web forms making
> > them intelligible and (b) write some proper documentation! I expect
> > someone who has been using the system for a while finds it all very
> > intuitive and obvious, but to a newcomer it is extremely difficult
> > to use (and by this I mean a newcomer to OpenSRS, not a newcomer to
> > managing domains).
> >
>
> We're releasing a new version (very shortly) with MUCH improved
> documentation, as well as some minor enhancements to the various
> interfaces - including removing some ambiguity from the functionality.
>
> I understand your comments and will dutifully pass on those that warrant
> extra attention (for upcoming/planned releases).
>
> As an aside - you should have seen this thing in January when we first
> released it *grin*
>
> > Cheers
> >
> > Jon
>
> --
>
> Charles Daminato
> OpenSRS Support Manager
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
