Re: [gNewSense-users] Website skin updated

[Karl Goetz]

On Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:58:21 -0500
auto generate <address@hidden> wrote:

Hi,

> @Sam:  you're right, it's not just the Wiki, it's the whole website.
> Not that it shouldn't contain the technical jargo - that's essential -
> but maybe there could be a way to highlight a term on every page,
> click a shortcut on the keyboard or on the site, and go to an
> explanation of it, and then be returned to the original spot.  That
> could be done for words, processes, etc.  Maybe someone (me and other

Can you give an example of a site that does this?

> newbies?) could suggest places where a general discussion/explanation
> of the process(es) or words could be accessed by a newbie, or even a
> more experienced, but not very technical person. Someone somewhere

Depending on how this is applied, this could be interesting to follow
up.

> (in the forum or mailing list) once said that it's all about
> education.  It could be that gNS.org will have to accept another
> role, that of education for the non-technical, at least insofar as
> gNS is concerned.  Maybe each page could have a dedicated corner for

What would you say its current role is?

> anyone to use to clarify what the heck is being talked about, on that
> particular page.  It could be like a help link for that page.  That

Anything under wiki.gnewsense.org *is* editable by anyone. If it needs
clarification, fix it.

> would surely help me.  It would give me hope. haha
> 
>  On Mon, 2009-03-02 at 23:25 +0100, Sam Geeraerts wrote:
> > Auto Generate schreef:
> > > Here's an example of how the language on the site is a problem
> > > for me:
> > > 
> > > I just now found the installation instructions for the live CD.
> > > I clicked on Wiki and there it was.  Matt Flaschen told me in an
> > > email how to load gns.  Basically just stick it in the drive and
> > > reboot, making sure the computer will read the CD drive first.
> > > Or something like that.  Anyway, I didn't know what a Wiki was,
> > > so i didn't look there. Maybe there could be something written on
> > > the Wiki button to explain what it is.  Like "instructions"?
> > > Just guessing here. 
> > > 
> > > Or maybe it's better to leave things as they are, and if people
> > > want to use the tool (computer w/software), let them struggle to
> > > learn about it.  After all, the software is free, not easy.
> > > Nothing valuable is easy to come by.
> > > 
> > > Patrick
> > > 
> > 
> > Thanks for your comments, Patrick. We know that the wiki is
> > generally in a state of, uhm, being not so good, especially for
> > less technical people. One problem is that not a lot of people like
> > editing the wiki or that they don't know how to do it well (I'm one
> > of them). The other problem is that most of the people who do edit
> > the wiki are geeks, who take some stuff for granted.
> > 
> > That's why experiences from newbies (like you) are valuable. They
> > make us see that some things are not obvious to everybody. By
> > adjusting to your needs we can make gNewSense available to a much
> > wider audience.
> > 
> > So I guess "wiki" indeed doesn't say much to a lay person. 
> > "Documentation" maybe doesn't completely cover it all, but is a
> > much more accessible term. Opinions, anyone?
> > 
> > This probably not the only thing that could use some clarification.
> 
> 

-- 
Karl Goetz, (Kamping_Kaiser / VK5FOSS)
Debian user / gNewSense contributor
http://www.kgoetz.id.au
No, I won't join your social networking group

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