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Building an FAQ — Parallax Forums

Building an FAQ

Graham StablerGraham Stabler Posts: 2,507
edited 2007-12-31 00:35 in Propeller 1
It would be worth having a full FAQ, perhaps we could work together to build one. I'd be interested in hearing ideas on how. Perhaps we start by asking for questions, create a list and then work on answers.

I volunteer to do the work compiling the resulting info, it could also go into the wiki.

Graham

Comments

  • CardboardGuruCardboardGuru Posts: 443
    edited 2007-12-30 13:42
    Hi Graham,

    I tend to think of the wiki as being an FAQ as it is. And it certainly fits the bill of "working together to build one". I can't really see what would be gained from providing yet another document, rather than just putting that work straight into the wiki.

    I'd love to have your input to the wiki. If it's a specific all-in-one-document thing you want, then just start a new page in the wiki called FAQ, which either contains short answers inline, or links to other wiki pages for longer topics. It's up to you how you want to do it.

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  • Graham StablerGraham Stabler Posts: 2,507
    edited 2007-12-30 14:13
    Well it depends how many people actually contribute to the wiki.

    I think it is much easier to get input from people (beginners too) on the forum, I could start a FAQ section in the wiki but I would end up writing questions and answers and the latter in particular I would struggle with.

    Perhaps I should not of mentioned the wiki at all because I think it's a great place to put info but it's not a great place to discuss creating the information in the first place.

    Graham
  • CardboardGuruCardboardGuru Posts: 443
    edited 2007-12-30 15:08
    I agree, the wiki is no good for discussing creating the FAQ. Best to do that here. But the wiki a great place for the FAQ to be whilst it's being created and once it's reached stability.

    I'm just a bit concerned about creating ever more places to look, or multiple copies of the same information which might not stay in sync. And also that what is a limited number of people that are prepared to write explanatory texts be spread ever more thinly. One comprehensive and current source is better than several different and disparate sources which go stale. And edit-by-anyone gets around the problem of what happens if the maintainer moves their focus to something else or goes AWOL - which is always only a matter of time.

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    Help to build the Propeller wiki - propeller.wikispaces.com
    Play Defender - Propeller version of the classic game
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  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,162
    edited 2007-12-30 15:20
    I'm (very) slowly working on one here:
    http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/FAQ.htm

    But, it needs a lot of work still...
  • JonKoppJonKopp Posts: 12
    edited 2007-12-30 16:27
    What if you just create a FAQ page in the wiki. That is a page that belongs on the Home page anyway. Then individuals can go to the discussion page on it and figure out how it should be done. I also think there should be a "How this wiki is formated" page. With a collaborative emphasis on a singular page format, again the discussion can happen on the discussion page as to how to format it.. And possibly a "Request for a page" page.

    I think the wiki is the best place for this. Newbies can anonymously leave questions and people who care about it can clean out the duplicate questions. There are some good wiki etiquette tips in the wiki of the day thread in this forum, but I still think an overall etiquette and/or format page would help.

    Post Edited (JonKopp) : 12/30/2007 4:34:34 PM GMT
  • parts-man73parts-man73 Posts: 830
    edited 2007-12-30 16:28
    how about when one of the "experts" answers a question on the forum that qualifies as a FAQ, cut and paste the question and answer to the Wiki or other central repository for information?

    It may be more work, but it will save from answering the question again in the future. This FAQ needs to be placed in a very obvious place so that beginners can find it.

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  • hippyhippy Posts: 1,981
    edited 2007-12-30 18:27
    Graham Stabler said...
    I could start a FAQ section in the wiki but I would end up writing questions and answers and the latter in particular I would struggle with.

    I think it's a great idea to put a FAQ section on the Wiki, in many ways it is no more than creating an index of what content needs to be added. Those passing by can fill in the missing pieces and add their own thoughts. People often find that easier because they know what needs doing ( answering ) and it's a lot less abstract and less daunting than "creating a Wiki page" from a blank screen.

    No need to worry about it becoming uncontrollable either. If it does, someone will come along and re-factor it into sub-pages and so on. The great thing about a Wiki is that everyone can apply the skills they have. No need to worry about poor grammar or spelling, someone will fix that, and if they don't then it's good enough as it is.
  • deSilvadeSilva Posts: 2,967
    edited 2007-12-30 18:48
    I have some doubts wrtt a FAQ, based on personal experience. They have never helped me... I know three kinds of FAQ.
    (a) Very short ones, using the Q as catchy title lines to structure an introduction "What you should know before you start." This is in fact a good thing, but need not be called "FAQ"
    (b) Very comprehensive ones: You will find your answer there, but will not find the right question the author thinks you should have posed
    (c) Also long ones, where you do NOT find your answer...

    I personally prefer "bits" of comprehensive information as already found in the Propeller Wiki.
    It will be certainly a good thing to also find there something like: "What you should know before you start and links where to go further". (See (a) above)
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-12-30 21:53
    Something which people could benifit greatly from is a central directory, a page on the wiki which lists all known locations of Propeller information, clearly the usual suspects would be listed (obex, propeller downloads page), but would also link to individual websites which people maintain related to the Propeller (rayslogic.com/com, Andrew's site for HSS, etc), this could also serve as a central location for those objects which are not on obex because the author has a stricter liscensing than obex allows.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2007-12-30 22:12
    That's already starting to happen...

    Here's the start of an Object Exchange FAQ
    propeller.wikispaces.com/Object+Reference

    Also, here's a links page.
    propeller.wikispaces.com/Links+to+other+sites+related+to+the+Propeller+

    Although I suspect there could be more explanation given with each of these links..

    OBC

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  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,260
    edited 2007-12-31 00:35
    What kinds of questions hit the Parallax support line?

    I've built a few FAQs in the past, and that proved to be an excellent starting point. Maybe that's a quick 'n dirty way to get one up and established with some known good value?

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