[kde-doc-english] wiki

[Yuri Chornoivan]

--- Оригінальне повідомлення ---
Від кого: Chusslove Illich <caslav.ilic at gmx.net>
Кому: For people writing documentation for KDE <kde-doc-english at kde.org>
Дата: 11 червня, 12:40:15
Тема: Re: [kde-doc-english] wiki

> > [: Yuri Chornoivan :]
> > Well, all those previous authors know how to write docbooks. In fact, I
> > have learned the basics in a few hours. Today's authors do not want to
> > learn XML? [...]
> 
> To reiterate, I'm not going into choice of formats. Instead:
> 
> > If the documentation is worth to be read, you will always find someone to
> > convert it [into the agreed upon format]. There is not unmaintainability
> > at all.
> 
> This is what I do not agree with at all. When the document is written for
> the first time, sure, it takes proportionally little time to convert it into
> the target format (the precise amount of time depending on the specificity
> of that format). But, documentation must be constantly tweaked, both to be
> improved and to stay up to date. What will the original author do then? Send
> you a free-form list changes like "insert this paragraph between... replace
> that sentence... fix these typos..."? Of course not. You will either get a
> full document to convert again, which is less likely, or never again hear
> _from the original author, which is more likely. The latter is more likely
> because the lack of will to get into contributing the documentation in the
> agreed upon way is significantly correlated with the lack of will to keep
> the content up to date.
> 
> -- 
> Chusslove Illich (Часлав Илић)
> 

So what should we do if someone, like the Blogilo, Rocs, Kigo or Mancala developers ask to convert documentation?

Will the new docbook template and simplistic docbook guide with screenshots, mighty Konqi and beautiful Katie explaining how to write docbook, patch it and send it back in every distribution be enough? ;)

What should we do if someone wants to convert blog post in UserBase page [1] (it is clear that it cannot be maintained, just rewritten from scratch)?

[1] http://userbase.kde.org/Digikam/Tour