end users documentation

Is there any friendly end user documentation? I couldn't find any in the docs area. I am happy to start writing some, but it would be great to build on some in existence. I am after really basic stuff, layout of the screen, what is a private message vs what is a message board, what friends are etc.

  • Doesn't exist here. It is probable that many sites based on Elgg have some user documentation (but much of that might be specific to the site).

  • Seems like some end user doc's. for Elgg need to be created for basic functions that Elgg offers the end user of each website.  If the end user docs for the basic Elgg software was included in the package, that would make Elgg a more attractive piece of software for a possible future website.

  • Do other open source frameworks similar to Elgg provide end user documentation?

    If someone wanted to do this, it could be done as a plugin and contributed to the community.

  • I know that Joomla has a nice wiki of information about Joomla.  We are currently using DokuWiki for our documentation at JFusion.

  • Hmmm this topic has got me thinking, as once I have my site well towards completion, I will then start to want to put together some kind of Tutorials of one form or another in a help system, that will walk people through the basic, medium or more advanced features of my elgg site.

    So I am wondering with screen capture software, I am sure many of you have it along with myself, could we not create video tutorials and then would it be possible to place those tutorials in a new plugin that would sit within the "Site Help Tutorials" section that would be created for all elgg site admins to install and then offer their end users?

    The above would be somewhat labour intensive but if a common easy format was developed most of us agree on to follow, I am sure give a month or two between as many of us as possible, we could do it some true justice?

    Hope I don't get shot down for the above lol!

    Regards,

  • @Rob - quite the contrary! Won't get shot down by me! If we get a core end user documentation to be included with the full Elgg download, that will make the websites that are powered by Elgg that much easier to use for both the website owners/webmaster and also the end users.

  • @OnTheMarkDesign - as far as I know, the Joomla Wiki is not for end users but for administrators and developers. While not as extensive, the equivalent for Elgg is here: http://docs.elgg.org/wiki/Main_Page

  • @ onthemarkdesign, Well now I do feel happy, more than likely will contribute my thoughts and ideas knowing my thinking out of the box may well be accepted at times in a new community I have stumbled across and already addicited too.

    Should we set up a new group? (Don't think one has been for this subject yet)

    It needs a clear mission statement, a few of us can kick ideas about what categories subjects should be on the most important to do list first, then medium and low video, image and text tutorials.

    Also so it doesn't get messy with anybody wanting to chip in and contribute their part, should we also decide on exactly what file formats etc and any other relevant information they would need to adhere too.

    So if we are to be able to have the tutorials dropped in to a plugin, that can then be put in a widget, there wouldn't be a nightmare trying to get everything to sync and work nicely together?

    Although the latter two I wouldn't be able to help with as I am not that good lol.

    Regards,

  • @Cash - True most of the info is for the "back end" of Joomla, but if a wiki was created for the 'front end' user for Elgg that would be something that would differentiate Elgg from other Open Source CMS project.  I'm working with the JFusion Documentation Team, so I'll probably right in the middle of things regarding the Joomla/Elgg project using JFusion to bridge them!  

    @Rob - If there's not a Group not already going for the End User Documentation, I'd say "start it"!  It will take time, and with each new version of Elgg, the End User Documentation (EUD) will need to be updated.  Just the planning for the core EUD will take some time, since we are creating it for the first time. 

    I'd say as far as the "code" of it, core EUD must be made so it's instantly upgradeable by the webmaster of the site.  Give them an auto update or manual option on the EUD updating.

     

     

  • OK, thanks for the responses, I think I will make a bit of a start on one section myself then figure out how best to share it. I was going to do something in OpenOffice.org or Google Docs, but the pages plugin seems a more Elggish way to do it, and I guess it could end up as a documentation plugin