I think this topic is important enough (and interesting enough, so far) that "Documentation of the Future" (meaning all the improve-docs ideas, not just the write-the-manual-first one) ought to be a panel in its own right, apart from "attracting new participants" ....
And maybe it ought to be on day one, so we can workshop some of it on days 2+.... It's cool. LGM's definitely the place where new and unusual FOSS approaches ought to come out of the woodwork.... Nate PS: .... 2011/2/21 helen varley jamieson <[email protected]> > very interesting idea to write the manual first :) > > with UpStage, we are waiting for the release of a majorly altered & > enhanced media management system, & as this means rewriting half the manual > i thought, this is a good time to transfer the manual to flossmanuals; so i > started it, then i stopped because the students who are doing the coding are > behind schedule. however, now i think i might just go ahead & write it > anyway (with others hopefully contributing) & point the students to it to to > get them inspired & also perhaps pre-empt some things that might have needed > to be changed later. > > h : ) > > > On 21/02/11 7:30 AM, Christopher Adams wrote: > > Mushon, > > That is a really fine and provocative suggestion on your part—to write > about software that does not exist but should. It seeks the excluded middle > between the Floss Manuals which are too perfunctory on the one hand and too > presumptuous on the other *(An Open Web,* which I also worked on, being a > species of the latter). > > LGM would be a great opportunity to see these possibilities played out. > > - Christopher > > > ——— > christopher adams > 86 186 1172 0021 > 49 15 156 219931 > 886 953 036 630 > 1 646 201 3335 > chris.raysend.com > > On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 1:41 PM, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I totally agree Mushon. Totally. Manuals are dead. Atrophied. Even >> worse when they get printed. >> >> Yes, totally, make future manuals, then fill in the blanks to them. >> >> That is totally the approach I took in participating in the open web book: >> >> http://openweb.flossmanuals.net/ >> >> There is a book sprint in Toronto by adam on the web from the 7 - >> 12...should talk with adam to see if possible to do one at LGM before >> or after. >> >> So what would the future manual look like? Ideas for that? >> >> Jon >> >> On Sun, Feb 20, 2011 at 11:30 PM, Mushon Zer-Aviv <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > >> > >> > On Feb 21, 2011, at 4:17, Gregory Pittman <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > All fodder for discussion at LGM. Certainly we need to get out of the >> dark >> > ages of documentation as an afterthought. >> > >> > Greg >> > >> > This is actually a huge issue I recently discussed with Adam Hyde of >> Floss >> > Manuals. FM was initially established to address a blind-spot for Floss >> — >> > documentation. It developed the book sprint documentation methodology >> which >> > I am sure you guys are familiar with. >> > Last year I participated in "Collaborative Futures" the first book >> initiated >> > by FM that was not documenting a procedure but describing the past, >> present >> > and future of open networked collaboration. It was much much harder, but >> > there was something there that really clicked. And after a second sprint >> on >> > the book I actually think it's a quite recommended read. (and it is >> always >> > available for further editing) >> > What I proposed to Adam is that FM could start experimenting in writing >> > manuals for software that was not developed yet. Basically asking "how >> would >> > we like it to work?" before we say "this is how do you need to use it." >> This >> > would actually be addressing another blind-spot for Floss which is >> > strategy. >> > I know Adam is really excited about this idea and maybe LGM could be the >> > first place to try it out. Do consider it would probably not work the >> first >> > time and would need some iterations but it could be a much needed >> > intervention into a process that we all agree needs some challenging. >> > The infrequent lurker, >> > Mushon Zer-Aviv >> > Mushon.com | Shual.com | @Mushon >> > _______________________________________________ >> > CREATE mailing list >> > [email protected] >> > http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/create >> > >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> Jon Phillips >> http://rejon.org/ | http://fabricatorz.com/ >> chat/skype: kidproto | irc: rejon >> +1.415.830.3884 (global) | +1-510-499-0894 (sf) >> _______________________________________________ >> CREATE mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/create >> > > > _______________________________________________ > CREATE mailing > [email protected]http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/create > > > > -- > ____________________________________________________________ > > helen varley jamieson: creative catalyst [email protected] > http://www.creative-catalyst.comhttp://www.avatarbodycollision.orghttp://www.upstage.org.nz > ____________________________________________________________ > > > _______________________________________________ > CREATE mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/create > > -- nathan.p.willis [email protected] aim/ym/gtalk:n8willis identi.ca/n8
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