Hi Andrew,
Andrew Jensen wrote:
If there are a bunch of notations in the help file source documents
where the tech writers are looking for feedback then why not.
IRC, SKYPE or something else, whatever pick medium.
There are a group of volunteers here that I bet could make a good dent
in that list. ( Yes, conjecture I know, since I haven't looked at the
list of requests )
But, if someone would organize this maybe we could get 3 or 4 or more
people on-line at the same time. Someone act as the facilitator and
run down the list of questions - let the group try to offer the needed
input to the documentation group.
thank you very much for your help. Every help on the OOo documentation
is really appreciated and welcome.
For a current list of topics that need help most, see
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Application_Help_Development_To_Do
We also have some success stories, where users from the community took
responsibility to write large parts of the help. See
http://blogs.sun.com/oootnt/entry/the_new_chart_module_is for one
example. This is the type of community contribution that helps most.
For the comments inside the source files: those comments are there as a
reminder for the help authors to add some contents later, whenever time
allows. We cannot wait until a set of help files for a new feature is
really ready and nice and complete and then publish those help files.
Instead we must deliver a first version that is just good enough, then
later refine those files when time allows and priorities are set
accordingly. I hope you understand.
For the Sun Report Builder, you currently see the "0.9" version of the
application help because the feature was ready and documentable just at
the last moment before deadline. Refinements are on the way.
If someone wants to contribute to the application help, please send me
an email.
Unfortunately, we must also consider that the *word count* needs to be
kept as low as possible. This must not keep us from writing the
necessary help (the "must have" files), but we certainly will not write
any "nice to have" help files. Just a few weeks ago, we have seen what
happens when a "too large" word count of a help CWS meets the near
deadline for a release: the whole changed help will not be part of the
release, but of the next upgrade.
Uwe
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED] - Technical Writer
StarOffice - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Hamburg, Germany
http://www.sun.com/staroffice
http://documentation.openoffice.org/online_help/index.html
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Category:OnlineHelp
http://blogs.sun.com/oootnt
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
