[TOS] OSCON query - is documentation an education subject?
Jefro
jefro at jefro.net
Tue Feb 2 05:17:51 UTC 2010
I would be happy to include the TOS project on this OSCON presentation
if anyone thinks it would be appropriate:
Effectively Managing Documentation for Open-Source Projects
Documentation can define the difference between a winning project and an
also-ran. How can you manage the documentation portion of your
open-source project? This presentation reveals the basics of doc
project management, showing you what your users need and how to meet
their expectations.
Abstract:
Documentation is a vital user-facing component of all serious projects,
open-source and otherwise, but it is often overlooked---or, worse, dealt
with in fire-drill mode just before going to manufacturing or market.
However, documentation is a project's backbone. It is often what users
and OEMs see first, and it is also the place you want users to look when
they have questions or problems (so they don't have to call you).
Making documentation approachable is a non-trivial task. Like the
finish on a restored car or a piece of fine furniture, it can make a
clunker look like a million bucks, or it can put your diamond
irretrievably in the rough. This short presentation addresses the
process of managing the documentation portion of your project, with
special attention paid to open-source issues as well as those of
community-based development. Subjects include internal project
documentation, published APIs and their accompanying SDKs, and end-user
documentation, and the four critical issues that must be addressed in
each component.
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