SMF Documentation Help Squad

Started by Jade Elizabeth, November 19, 2008, 12:01:42 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Jade Elizabeth

Hello Simple Machines community!!

My name is Jade, and I work on the SMF Online Manual as a Documentation Writer. I wanted to tell everyone about a very special group which I lead, called the Documentation Help Squad.

The Documentation Help Squad

The Documentation Help Squad is a group of people who volunteer their time to work on the Online Manual. They correct, re-write, update and write documentation. They have the ability to choose what they do, and there are no deadlines, so they are free to work at their own pace :D.

Ultimately, the Help Squad is for helping the current Documentation Writers keep the manual up to date and error free.

What the Help Squad Does

The help squad does many things to help us, so here is an extended explanation of each thing they can do. Of course they are not limited to these things, but these are the main things.

Correct a Document
Most Documentation Help Squad members start by correcting documents. This is a simple process, where documents are scanned for:

  • Dead images or links
  • Missing links
  • Grammatical errors
  • Contextual errors
  • Wording errors
  • Missing information
  • Coding errors (missing/visible BBC tags, etc)
  • Anything else that could be wrong
The corrections need to be submitted in a certain way, so we made our very own form for it! The Easy Correction Submission Form was made to make it easier for corrections to be submitted, and is very simple to use. More about that later!

Upgrade a Document
Upgrading a document is usually something simple that Documentation Help Squad members can choose to do. Upgrading a document is basically adding information for new versions, like SMF 2.0 for example. It is usually quick and easy, though sometimes you notice other errors and end up doing a re-write ::).

Re-write a Document
Re-writing a document involves rewording, correcting, and (sometimes) upgrading an existing document. Re-writes are different to corrections and upgrades because the finished product is nothing like the original. The new document should be error free, professional, and easy for readers to understand.

Write a Document
Writing a document from scratch, especially for a new 2.0 section, can be one of the hardest jobs the Online Manual has to offer. Writing a new document can be a little frustrating at first, but in the end it is worth it! Knowing your document is out there helping others is a great feeling :D.


The Help Squad Tools

The Documentation Help Squad has numerous tools available to help them with any of the above jobs they may choose. I ensure the Help Squad has all the help I can give them.

The Easy Correction Submission Form
As we mentioned before, this form makes submitting corrections easy! You input your corrections and press a button. It gives you code for posting, and then you post it! Want to see it? Click me!

The Online Manual Master List
The Master List is a list of every document on the Online Manual. Currently there are 315 public documents. The list also includes documents to be written, corrected or edited. The Master List is maintained and updated regularly.

The Toolbox
The Toolbox is a GREAT resource for EVERYONE! Inside are extensive guides on writing for the Online Manual, all hand written and customised for the Online Manuals needs. The guides include information on lists, links, headings, and general wording. Reading these is a MUST before beginning work!


Join The Help Squad Today!

Want to join? Need more convincing?

Reasons to Join:

  • A GREAT way to help SMF, and its community
  • It's fun and rewarding

    • Help others
    • Learn better writing skills
    • Your documents could go public!
  • You work WITH real people, possibly including SMF team members, SMF friends, and other Help Squad members
  • You could become an OFFICIAL SMF Documentation Writer!! I started in the Help Squad ;)

How to Join the Help Squad:
If you want to join, please sign up for an account on the Online Manual and send me or akabugeyes a PM with your Online Manual username (let us know you want to join the Help Squad too). One of us will give you access ASAP.
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

Apllicmz

  it has to be English or another would like to help more in Portuguese



Jade Elizabeth

#2
Unfortunately at this time it needs to be English. At a later date when the Online Manual is error free and at a higher standard we will most likely welcome translations :D.

Thanks for your interest though :D.
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

Jade Elizabeth

Just because I like to brag, recently a Documentation Help Squad member had one of their re-writes go public!
See the finished product here: http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=184.0

The original was messy, short, and unorganised, but Project Evolution did a great job getting it up to the Online Manual standard! Congratulations to him!

Soon I will be announcing these sort of things publicly, so you will see lots of monthly blogs from me in the future >:D.
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

ascaland

Hehehe thanks!  :D
Remember, that no matter what knowledge you have with SMF you can always be a big help to the Documentation Help Squad. I learned this from Jade. :)

Jade Elizabeth

That's right!!
And you're doing great, just like the rest of the squad, so don't give up! :D
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

migueldefender

Everything that came from Jade, it only can have a great quality. :)

Jade this "SMF Wikipedia" it will be great for guys like me who don't know anything about SMF. ;)


Best regards from Portugal,
Miguel

Jade Elizabeth

Thank you :D
I'm working hard currently to re-write the entire thing. It's an offline WIP but you will see it some day :)
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

Robinh

I'm diggin it! Thanks for the link to this post.  I used to write technical documentation for the Air Farce back in the good ole days, and still do some with my current company.  Looking forward to helping out!!!

Jade Elizabeth

Awesome :D

Glad to have you helping out :)
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

Dazed

Jade I sent you a pm with my details.  8)

Jade Elizabeth

I've set you up :D

Thanks for the interest!!
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

ascaland

Thanks to everyone whos taking a shot at this, trust me, its easier to learn SMF if you get to know the documentations and such.

Jade Elizabeth

With the amount of times I read all of my own docs I think I've learnt about it almost inside out :-X


Well, from the admin perspective ;)
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

Minare

I could make a good documentation writer & translator, actually I want to or else " I am going hoome ( Southpark - Cartman ) "  :D

Jade Elizabeth

We're currently not ready to offer translations to the Online Manual. When the English version is up to standard, we will ask for translations :D
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

Acans

Quote from: Jade on January 20, 2009, 08:21:33 AM
We're currently not ready to offer translations to the Online Manual. When the English version is up to standard, we will ask for translations :D
]

When we do i can translate to Australian English. I've or ready seen that SMF offers US English and British English. Aussie's need to read as well to.
"The Book of Arantor, 17:3-5
  And I said unto him, thy database query shalt always be sent by the messenger of $smcFunc
  And $smcFunc shall protect you against injections and evil
  And so it came to pass that mysql_query was declared deprecated and even though he says he is not
  dead yet, the time was soon to come to pass when mysql_query shall be gone and no more

Jade Elizabeth

Australian and British are the same thing. There arent many differences in American => Australian that we would come accross. Just spelling, but it's unimportant imo.

Save the translations for "real" languages :P
Once proud Documentation Writer and Help Squad Leader | Check out my new adult coloring career: Color With Jade/Patreon.

Acans

This is coming from an Australian

also are you using the school computers
"The Book of Arantor, 17:3-5
  And I said unto him, thy database query shalt always be sent by the messenger of $smcFunc
  And $smcFunc shall protect you against injections and evil
  And so it came to pass that mysql_query was declared deprecated and even though he says he is not
  dead yet, the time was soon to come to pass when mysql_query shall be gone and no more

Antechinus

Where's your manic patriotism? Australian is a real language. Stone the crows, cobber, do you have any idea what you're implying?

Advertisement: