http://fantasai.inkedblade.net/weblog/2004/documenting/
Some comments...
I'm fairly new to Mozilla, and I find it difficult for two reasons: 1) the overall complexity of everything, and 2) incomplete and imprecise documentation.
A well-organized DevMo could help 1). One way would be to start from the top of the Mozilla universe and work down. At each level, answer all the questions that readers might ask, like: What exists? Where can I find it? What is it for? What does it really do in Mozilla? What tools are used to create it? What Mozilla-specific usage of the tools applies? What standards does it comply with? What Mozilla-specific exceptions to the standards are there? What does it contain?
Essentially, the Mozilla universe seems to contain two big piles of code, Mozilla and mozdev, with corresponding piles of bugs. Each pile of code contains files, which have various types and are grouped in various ways. This gives structure to that "one giant emptiness" that you mention. If you dig down through the piles and answer my nine questions for everything you find, then you have finished the job.
A more "open-source" approach to documentation could help 2). You touch on this right at the end. It's not "slightly off topic". It's absolutely central. The documentation will never be complete and accurate. Ultimately, if you want to know something and you can't find it documented, you can go and read the source code and find out for yourself, and/or go to the community to ask. But the documentation rarely makes this clear. It's mostly written as if for a commercial product where source and community are not available.
Regarding bugs, you seem to want to make things more complex. I think that might be counter-productive, as complexity itself is a barrier to getting things fixed.
I suspect Mike's assertions #3 (that the gap between NEW and ASSIGNED is too big), and #4 (that finding bugs for skills is a barrier) are not helpful. It seems to me that when you tackle a bug you can never be quite sure where the work will lead. That is why the gap is big, and why you can't tell in advance what skills will be needed.
It would help me to understand the arguments if you could give actual examples of bugs that you think illustrate them.
-- Rod Whiteley _______________________________________________ mozilla-documentation mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.mozilla.org/listinfo/mozilla-documentation
