[Digikam-users] where is the user support?

[Wolfgang Mader]

I am a little sad for the guy since he misses a great piece of software.

Thanks to the Digikam-Devs!

Best, Wolfgang

On Saturday 03 August 2013 23:45:48 ELLIOT SMITH wrote:
> If I can find some software that does a screen recording, I can upload to
> youtube a video of what I am talking about.  You've put up a web site, and
> apparently you think it works.  It doesn't.  I would suggest you (whoever
> is the lead person or team for the user interface) actually collect data
> on how well the web site works, or doesn't.  Just because it looks good to
> you doesn't mean it is useable.  You use it every day, you know where
> everything is at.  To me, it's a complete jumble and mess.  For one thing,
> the color scheme is not color-blind friendly.
> 
> So I'm looking for information on how this broken software can work.  I go
> here:
> 
> http://www.digikam.org/
> 
> wtf?
> 
> About
> News
> Developers Blogs
> Events
> Screenshots
> Download
> digiKam Recipes Book
> Documentation
> Wiki
> FAQ
> Support
> 
> That's a lot to take in, especially considering the color scheme makes me
> want to gouge my own eyes out.
> 
> Documentation and Support and FAQ and Wiki are really similar concepts, if
> you ask me.  Maybe these could all be grouped together under a single
> "support" heading.
> 
> The wiki.  http://userbase.kde.org/Digikam
> 
> Wtf is this?  "View, manage, edit, enhance, organize, tag, and share
> photographs." it says.  Yeah, I know.  I got that part.  That's why I'm
> here.  Do you realize that the wiki is nothing but screen shots of the
> software working.  There's no information on how to get it to work.
> There's no info on errors.  There's nothing.  It's not a wiki.  It's a
> collection of screen shots.
> 
> What am I supposed to do with this?
> 
> http://userbase.kde.org/File:Digikam_camera.png
> 
> Set that as my desktop background and masturbate to it?
> 
> So the wiki is a bust.
> 
> As I mentioned previously, I did find the forum.. It wants a username and
> password... No idea how to to get those... no link to sign up.  You don't
> think that kind of idiocy is going to maybe turn people off just a little
> bit?  And it shows ZERO posts in the forum.  ZERO.  You have a forum with
> ZERO posts?  Either that's a bug in the software and it's reporting
> incorrectly, or you actually maintain a forum with ZERO posts.  Because no
> one can get a user name and password to get into it.  I can only assume
> the donations are used to fund a healthy drug habit.
> 
> http://www.digikam.org/docs
> 
> Documentation
> 
> "The digiKam documentation comes as a separate package usually called
> digikam-doc) which you have to install for local use."
> 
> 
> Well, okay, now we're getting somewhere.  Not.  The documentation that I
> have in my help menu is pretty lame and buggy at that.  How do I know if
> the documentation that comes as a separate package is the documentation
> that I already have?  Logically, if it comes as a separate package, then I
> shouldn't have it, given that I have not downloaded and installed any
> separate packages.  But so far nothing about this user interface is
> logical, so how the hell would I know for sure?
> 
> But you can read it online as well (some options might differ from your
> local installation because the online manuals belongs to the development
> versions):
> 
>     digiKam and image editor plugins
>     Showfoto
>     Kipi-plugins
> 
> 
>     digiKam PDF handbook
>     Showfoto PDF handbook
>     Kipi-plugins PDF handbook
> 
> 
> Okay... the decision tree you are sending me down at this point is getting
> to be a bit much.  Wtf is showfoto?  Why do I care about it?  Kipi
> plugins?  Hello?  Before you throw something at me, give me an
> introduction.  Give me some context.
> 
> "digiKam and image editor plugins"   Is this a link to plugins?  Or to
> documentation for plugins?  Is a keyboard monkey part of the interface
> design team, whacking on the keyboard with a stick?
> 
> "A wiki page hosted by KDE project is under contruction."
> 
> Yeah, I gathered as much.
> 
> "Every one can contribute to add and fix wiki contents."
> 
> That should be "everyone" not "every one."  And yes, I'm aware of how a
> wiki works, thank you.
> 
> API and Database schema
> 
> If you plan developing for digiKam you might find these links interesting:
> 
>     digiKam API
>     libkipi API
>     libkexiv2 API
>     libkdcraw API
>     libkgeomap API
>     Database schema
> 
> Use SQliteBrowser or the sqlite firefox extension to play with SQlite3
> database files.
> Online Source Code
> 
>     digiKam source code.
>     kipi-plugins source code.
>     libkipi, libkdcraw, libkexiv2 source code.
>     libkface, libkgeomap source code.
> 
> 
> No.  I don't want this.  I'm looking for documentation.  That's all I'm
> looking for.  That's why I clicked to come here.  Why is all this crap on
> this page?  How many users are going to actually want to read any of this?
>  1% of 1% of 1%?  You couldn't put this info on a different page?  With a
> simple link to it?  I'm looking for documentation, trying to overcome the
> learning curve of a new software, new jargon, etc, and you're throwing all
> this stuff at me about how to find the source code for libkipi, libkdcraw,
> libkexiv2 AND ALSO libkface, libkgeomap.  Because of course, I don't just
> want the libkipi, libkdcraw, libkexiv2 source code.  I might also need the
> libkface, libkgeomap source code too.  I'm so glad this loaded on my
> screen to give me more information to parse in this god-awful migraine
> inducing color scheme.  Because I didn't already find enough useless
> superfluous and generally distracting information and links on this web
> site.
> 
> I did finally click on the non-obvious "digiKam and image editor plugins"
> after exhausting all the other dead-ends, and what do you know, it's NOT a
> link to plugins, it's a link to documentation.
> 
> So I wind up here:
> 
> "Any configured digital camera will be listed here. You can use the "Add
> Camera" menu entry to add a new camera to the list. Please, read the Setup
> Camera Section for more information. "
> 
> So I click the "Setup Camera Section" link which directs me here:
> 
> http://docs.kde.org/development/en/extragear-graphics/digikam/using-setup.ht
> ml#cameraselection.anchor
> 
> The anchor is apparently misplaced, because it lands me in the middle of
> some text, with no heading to indicate where I am.  I scroll up, and I'm
> pretty close to being where I need to be.  I scroll up, and yes, there is
> a screen shot of the function that isn't working for me.  And look, it has
> an "auto-detect" button.  I don't have that button.  wow.  wtf?
> 
> You need to enter here the path where you mount the camera, usually
> "/mnt/camera" or "/mnt/removable".
> 
> Um?  I'm using Windows 7?
> 
>  To be able to use your digital camera with digiKam, connect the camera to
> your computer, switch the camera to the image display mode and turn it
> on.
> 
> Try and see if digiKam can auto-detect the camera; if not, you can set the
> camera model and port manually. Once you have the camera setup, go to the
> "Cameras" menu in the main interface and you will see the camera listed in
> the menu.
> 
> Right.  If that would have worked, I wouldn't be here in the first place.
> 
> When I try to add my camera, it gives an error with "102CANON The folder
> name is not valid"
> 
> See, this is how a support interface would work.  I would search or browse
> for my error message, and I would get information on the error.  I don't
> see that as really being an option here.  Google says:  No results found
> for site:docs.kde.org "the folder name is not valid".
> 
> Google further says:  "No results found for site:kde.org "the folder name
> is not valid"."
> 
> Wow, look at that, I'm the first person who has ever gotten this error
> message before.
> 
> If only I could log into that support forum I could do a FRIST PSOT!
> 
> Well I was hoping to have the software pull my photos off my camera, it
> might preserve the metadata that way.  man.  It's a sad world we live in
> when this might possibly be the best the open source community can do.  I
> need to start looking at commercial software.  Nothing against people with
> Aspergers I probably am a bit of an aspie myself but god damn I don't want
> a support interface designed and managed by someone with such extreme
> microfocus as to be unable to see the forest for the trees.
> 
> Good luck with y'alls project, I'm signing off this list now.
> 
> -Elliot
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I just wanted to check if there was any reason for the
> complaint concerning the support documentation; most of it
> seems up-to date and working.
> BUT: some links in the index give an error: "The file
> /development/en/extragear-graphics/digikam/inedex.html could
> not be found."
> Well, the "inedex.html" seems quite suspicious to me, guess
> that too many thumbs have been hammering a keyboard somewhere...
> 
> So, if the bug is true, Elliot has already (indirectly)
> contributed to the wonderful open-source world - despite the
> rant...
> 
> Best regards,
> Sveinn í Felli
> 
> Þann lau  3.ágú 2013 20:56, skrifaði Peter Mc Donough:
> > Am 03.08.2013 20:58, wrote ELLIOT SMITH:
> >> I am looking for a photo management application, so I
> >> downloaded digikam
> >> to give it a try, and I found some features that are
> >> broken, so I thought
> >> I would check the support docs and forum to see if I could
> >> get any help,
> >> and I found that the support docs
> >> a) suck,
> >> b) are buried and hard to find
> >> c) something about how I can't use them until I download
> >> and install them,
> >> but no link to do so... so maybe there are better docs
> >> that I could get if
> >> only there were a link to download them?
> > 
> > Welcome to the world of Digikam.
> > I have been running Digikam successfully for quite a while.
> > 
> > If you have a problem with Digikam, this list may be able to
> > help you.
> > Have also a look at http://www.digikam.org/
> > 
> > Within my system I just have to click the help button and
> > there it is.
> > Digikam is opens source, free of charge, and very powerful.
> > Which means, you will have to invest some effort to unlock
> > that power.
> > 
> > You should include some information about your system and
> > specify the problem.
> > 
> > For example my system runs digikam Version 3.2.0, unter KDE
> > 4.10.5 "release 1", OS is opensuse 12.3.
> > It also runs under Windows, which I don't use for photo
> > management
> > 
> >> And there is a mailing list.  Very retro.
> > 
> > Yes, you get the information via email and can read it when
> > you have spare time. Some like it that way and not being
> > retro doesn't automatically mean "advanced".
> > 
> > Have fun
> > Peter
> > _______________________________________________
> > Digikam-users mailing list
> > Digikam-users at kde.org
> > https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/digikam-users
> 
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> 
> 
> 
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