Talk:Forum Help
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[edit] Getting "back"
Need a way to get "back" to the main help page. Currently, there's no navigation between topics. Maybe each topic should be made into a category, then add the category box to the bottom of each page? --Ricks 13:56, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
Reply: Navigation needs to be added throughout the Wiki. I believe templates can be used to do this. I'll investigate. --Alwiley 02:43, 3 August 2007 (UTC) Update: Have asked: http://stc-on.org/wiki/Help:Wiki_User_Questions --Alwiley 01:28, 4 August 2007 (UTC) Update: link to return to the Forum Help index page added at the bottom of each topic. --Alwiley 01:37, 6 August 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Soliciting Missed FAQs
Can we add a "Submit an FAQ" link or some other way to let users post (or submit) questions they have that were not answered here? --Ricks 13:58, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
Reply: We can use this Discussion page for unanswered questions and requests for new topics. --Alwiley 02:47, 3 August 2007 (UTC)
- Yes, but this requires that the user first register on the wiki (at least until we get SSO) and login. To me, this seems like a very un-userfriendly method of gathering feedback. I was thinking of a simple form to solict additional input. Just an idea. --Ricks 15:31, 5 August 2007 (UTC)
- We also have the STC Forum. We don't have anyone to create a form, or monitor the input from it, and we do have volunteers reading the Forum every day, as well as the Recent changes page on the Wiki. --Alwiley 01:06, 6 August 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Second Set of Comments with Reply
At last I've finished moving the information from the Forum FAQs to this draft Forum Help. I'll let the active collaborators know by email. Thanks again, Destry, for the incredible job you did developing the FAQs for us when the Forum went live at the end of 2005. And thanks, Eddie, for joining us now to further improve this Help information. I'll step away this week and leave it to you to add, fill gaps, and clarify as you see fit. If you'd like me to look at anything, please let me know. Ann L. Wiley 23 July 2007
Reply: Thanks for providing the "muscle" to get this thing rolling, Ann. And I'll second the thanks to Destry (and Lou) for the great FAQs they developed in the first place. I've been through all but the last few topics now and I think we've got a few gaps to fill. More importantly, I think we need a consensus on the organization of the help. I'm placing a tentative outline of topics, sections, and cross-references on this page. Please comment on the structure. I'd also like to set down some simple guidelines for architecture (not style necessarily, but elements within topics and their relationships to one another). Any input on that subject is warmly welcomed. I only have the wiki to look at, so I may not be considering how the help will appear on the Forum. Of course, the simple architecture guidelines should fit reasonably well within any style sheet. --Eddie Hollon 00:36, 24 July 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Initial Comments with Reply
See the following forum threads for more context on this effort: STC Wiki hangs on...a while longer, Goodbye STC Wiki, and Time for a little forum dustmopping? (Note made by Destry Wion)
Having a mixture of FAQs and help topics may be OK in the Help menus. Converting the FAQs to Help topics makes fewer words to read with less repetition. The third-level headings were introduced when we had the idea of having the whole draft help system on one wiki page, which gets too long very fast. Ann L. Wiley
Reply: I agree...help topics, I think, are generally more useful, because they don't anticipate how the user phrases the question. That, and they don't repeat "how do I" over and over again. --Eddie Hollon 07:45, 20 July 2007 (UTC)
