Chat Recap – Aug 30
We did a lot in an hour!
Handbook Changes
The ‘user handbook’ is now at http://make.wordpress.org/support/user-handbook/
However this is temp! We’re going to build out at http://make.wordpress.org/support/user-manual/ starting with a more clear Table of Contents. Once we have that done, we can bring pages over one at a time. In the mean time, edit in http://make.wordpress.org/support/user-handbook/ and when you’re done tag the page (oh yes, we haz tags!)
We’re going to try to split the handbook into ‘weeks’ with the goal of being done by WPCS. So two months! (possibly get this so it can be used by http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-help/ or something similar for end users on their own WP installs?)
Week One: TOC! Let’s sort out the best way to present the basic info.
Please go to http://make.wordpress.org/support/user-manual/ and weigh in (yes, comments r good). We’re not doing a straight copy-over, but as we find pages that are relavent, we’ll sort ‘em that way. Come up with what sub-topics we should have in each section. We’re trying to KISS, so think of the least technical person you know and start there. Where would they start.
The TOC will drive the next weeks topics.
Mod Handbook
The mod handbook – http://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/ – needs your love too.
Misc.
Nacin List
@nacin’s to do 
Wish List
Things @ipstenu needs to harangue @otto42 about.
@mercime 11:51 pm on August 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
== bbPress/BuddyPress docs need lurve too! ==
i lurve them both. Wasn’t at the chat so are you referring to http://codex.bbpress.org/ and http://codex.buddypress.org/ or something else entirely?
Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) 12:21 am on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Their codex’s
@raggedrobins pointed out they could use some doc attention.
@mercime 3:50 pm on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you Ipstenu. Yes, more lurving needed. Articles in BP codex are updated or added around the time a new version rolls out or whenever needed. Those tasks have been done by BP Core Devs, BP Forums Mods and a few active members of BP community … a mirror to what’s happening at a bigger level with the WP docs I see.
BP 1.7 is coming up the pipeline with new major theme compatibility features, internal group forums integration with bbPress plugin, new groups panel in wp-admin, among many others. All are welcome to help out now to improve BP docs
.
esmi 11:47 am on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’m seeing multiple reference to WordPress.com in the handbook. Is this correct or have I missed something (sorry – been out of the loop for a while).
Andrea Rennick 12:50 pm on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
We have to edit those.
We grabbed docs from wp.com to have something to start from.
esmi 2:49 pm on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Aha! So would it be OK to start editing the references out and massaging the text appropriately?
Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) 2:59 pm on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Yep. We’re planning to target a section a week (week one is the ToC – http://make.wordpress.org/support/user-manual/ ) and then edit them in-situ and pull them over to the ‘right place’ when done.
Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) 3:59 pm on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
FYI, you can just edit the pages directly, esmi
And feel free to!
Siobhan 8:14 pm on August 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Now that we have tags for pages how about a simple tagging system for the user manual that we can keep consistent? I suggest using:
Complete
Needs input (use the comment form to make a note of what input is needed).
Erm… dunno what else.
[P.S. Is it just me that wishes that when I comment on a blog the checkbox that is automatically checked should be "Notify me of follow-up comments by email" rather than "Notify me of new posts by email"? I have to switch them every time]
Siobhan 7:57 pm on September 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Can we rename the Moderator Handbook as the Support Handbook? Moderator implies forums but the handbook should encompass docs too
Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) 2:13 am on September 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Done!
Siobhan 8:47 am on September 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
More demands! Can the support handbook have the same layout as the core handbook: http://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/
It’d make it easier to edit if the TOCs were at the side.
Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) 2:59 pm on September 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Yes, but.
That list I hand-made (It’s a menu) so as soon as we have the ToC nailed, I can do that. I just don’t want to make it and re-make it and remake it …
Siobhan 10:19 am on September 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
i have copied over all of the stuff to do with editing the codex: http://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/contributing-to-the-wordpress-codex/
However, it needs editing to get rid of duplicate stuff and to make it easier to follow and more logical.
For the record, I hate MediaWiki – I know that lots of people love it but it’s a serious barrier when it comes to getting people to contribute to the codex. People may be able to edit with just HTML but they don’t know that and people do say that they would help if it was built on WordPress.
Also, eating own dog food? A beautiful, usable WordPress Codex built using WordPress would be a fantastic way to show of what WP can do.
Update: Could add another to-do on to that list for me to edit the codex contributing stuff in the SP handbook. Will get on it asap
Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) 3:06 pm on September 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The ability to handle linking on a wiki with juste [[pagename]] and the flat-level design there of is much easier than on WP (there, I said it, okay?). I’ve done tons of doc’ing on both (and installing), and there’s a time and a place for ‘em.
Mind, I think the user manual doesn’t need to be that time or place