[APBeta] APBeta Digest, Vol 26, Issue 12
Ron Ridge
ridgerunner.007 at gmail.com
Sun Jun 20 20:49:10 PDT 2010
Paul, wiki sounds great and actually works already!!
I registered with the wiki and put a few words on the first time users
page, knowing full well that once that page is written that those words
will be replaced.
Are you userid number 1?
I will write what I learn installing the Temma 2M mount using ASCOM 5.5
platform and create page for that documentation. Once there is some
wiki organization defined then I will move it to the appropriate place
in the wiki. Have to get the mount before I can install it but do have
the ASCOM platform and appropriate driver installed and defined to AP
beta at this time. Of course I expect that there are already a number
of those mounts already running under the Beta.
~~~ ~~~
Ron Ridge
~~~ ~~~
Send to: ridgerunner.007 at gmail.com
On 6/20/2010 7:24 PM, apbeta-request at lists.astroplanner.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Documentation using a wiki (Igor Mikolic-Torreira)
> 2. Re: Documentation using a wiki (Paul Rodman)
> 3. Re: Documentation using a wiki (Dan Kuchta)
> 4. Re: Documentation using a wiki (Paul Rodman)
> 5. Re: Documentation using a wiki (Dave Eaglesham)
> 6. Re: Documentation using a wiki (Paul Kemp)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:21:21 -0400
> From: Igor Mikolic-Torreira<igormtnews at comcast.net>
> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers<apbeta at lists.astroplanner.net>
> Subject: Re: [APBeta] Documentation using a wiki
> Message-ID:<4C1E7841.10803 at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> I'll gladly contribute.
>
> Igor
>
> Paul Rodman wrote:
>
>> I am thinking of creating a wiki (a la Wikipedia) for providing documentation for AstroPlanner V2* (in particular the "how to" stuff. The reference stuff will still be via embedded help). As a matter of interest, how many of you are
>>
>> a. Familiar with editing a wiki** (in this case it will probably be MediaWiki, as used by Wikipedia I believe)?
>> and/or
>> b. Would be interested in creating content for, or editing existing content of, such a wiki?
>>
>> Apart from (possibly) speeding up the release process, it would allow continuing feedback. e.g. if someone needs to use AstroPlanner to predict variable star peaks and this is not in the wiki, it could be added.
>>
>> I have also heard, but only in passing, that it is also possible to produce a PDF from a Wiki (for those who like printed manuals).
>>
>> Paul R.
>>
>> * Thanks to tester Marius Strom for the idea.
>> ** I'm actually quite ignorant of these things. I spent yesterday afternoon installing wiki software and starting to figure out how it is edited, etc. Turns out to be quite easy.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> APBeta mailing list
>> APBeta at lists.astroplanner.net
>> http://lists.astroplanner.net/listinfo.cgi/apbeta-astroplanner.net
>>
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:00:33 -0700
> From: Paul Rodman<paul at ilanga.com>
> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers<apbeta at lists.astroplanner.net>
> Subject: Re: [APBeta] Documentation using a wiki
> Message-ID:<713E688C-48F8-45F2-B223-44E707AAA518 at ilanga.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Good point. MediaWiki allows for multiple languages. I won't be able to do much more than British English I'm afraid.
>
> Paul R.
>
> On Jun 20, 2010, at 1:18 PM, Jorge Arranz wrote:
>
>
>> You know I offerred to translate manuals into Spanish, so could do with wiki.
>>
>> Jorge Arranz
>>
>> qfwfqestuvoalli.wordpress.com
>>
>>
>> 2010/6/20 Paul Rodman<paul at ilanga.com>
>>
>> On Jun 20, 2010, at 10:46 AM, Marius Strom wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Why don't you appoint a core team of folks to police the process, keeping the editing to a core group of folks to begin with. As it gets more widely used, then it can open up further.
>>>
>> I still need to figure out how to do that.
>>
>> BTW, the wiki, in all it's empty glory is at http://wiki.astroplanner.net
>>
>> Paul R.
>>
>>
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Paul Rodman
>>> Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 10:42 AM
>>> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers
>>> Subject: Re: [APBeta] Documentation using a wiki
>>>
>>> Initially, I need to put together a tentative table of contents and then start adding pages/"articles" which you can poke at/add to/edit, etc.
>>>
>>> I suspect I might need to add some control over who gets to edit stuff. I don't want to have to spend my time policing the process.
>>>
>>> Paul R.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jun 20, 2010, at 10:35 AM, Phil Gaskill wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> I've done a fair amount of Wikipedia editing, so I guess that qualifies me. ;-)
>>>>
>>>> So count me in.
>>>>
>>>> I don't know what your timeframe is for the release. I'm pretty busy at the moment, with some family health problems to take care of, so I might not be much help initially. But I'm definitely good for at least the continuing stuff.
>>>>
>>>> --Phil
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Jun 20, 2010, at 12:33 PM, Paul Rodman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I am thinking of creating a wiki (a la Wikipedia) for providing documentation for AstroPlanner V2* (in particular the "how to" stuff. The reference stuff will still be via embedded help). As a matter of interest, how many of you are
>>>>>
>>>>> a. Familiar with editing a wiki** (in this case it will probably be MediaWiki, as used by Wikipedia I believe)?
>>>>> and/or
>>>>> b. Would be interested in creating content for, or editing existing content of, such a wiki?
>>>>>
>>>>> Apart from (possibly) speeding up the release process, it would allow continuing feedback. e.g. if someone needs to use AstroPlanner to predict variable star peaks and this is not in the wiki, it could be added.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have also heard, but only in passing, that it is also possible to produce a PDF from a Wiki (for those who like printed manuals).
>>>>>
>>>>> Paul R.
>>>>>
>>>>> * Thanks to tester Marius Strom for the idea.
>>>>> ** I'm actually quite ignorant of these things. I spent yesterday afternoon installing wiki software and starting to figure out how it is edited, etc. Turns out to be quite easy.
>>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> APBeta mailing list
>>> APBeta at lists.astroplanner.net
>>> http://lists.astroplanner.net/listinfo.cgi/apbeta-astroplanner.net
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:29:47 -0400
> From: Dan Kuchta<dankuchta at gmail.com>
> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers<apbeta at lists.astroplanner.net>
> Subject: Re: [APBeta] Documentation using a wiki
> Message-ID:<873E007F-3120-4B2F-BE7A-36DDC079F367 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Personally, I'm not a big fan of online documentation, wiki or otherwise. If manuals are well written and well organized, they can add dramatically to the usability of the software. By the same token, poorly written manuals can be miserable to wade through. While I'm sure writing manuals is not your favorite task, you are actually quite good at it and in my opinion, your manual is better than most commercial software I've purchased. In fact, it was one of the reasons I purchased AstroPlanner to begin with.
>
> On the other hand, I can certainly understand that you have limited time and would rather spend it writing code instead of manuals. A wiki can be an effective way of getting the information out there and letting the community help with the updates and additions. What you tend to lose is that coherent, organized "train of thought" that runs through a well written manual like yours.
>
> Just my 2 cents. :-)
>
> -Dan
>
>
> On Jun 20, 2010, at 12:33 PM, Paul Rodman wrote:
>
>
>> I am thinking of creating a wiki (a la Wikipedia) for providing documentation for AstroPlanner V2* (in particular the "how to" stuff. The reference stuff will still be via embedded help). As a matter of interest, how many of you are
>>
>> a. Familiar with editing a wiki** (in this case it will probably be MediaWiki, as used by Wikipedia I believe)?
>> and/or
>> b. Would be interested in creating content for, or editing existing content of, such a wiki?
>>
>> Apart from (possibly) speeding up the release process, it would allow continuing feedback. e.g. if someone needs to use AstroPlanner to predict variable star peaks and this is not in the wiki, it could be added.
>>
>> I have also heard, but only in passing, that it is also possible to produce a PDF from a Wiki (for those who like printed manuals).
>>
>> Paul R.
>>
>> * Thanks to tester Marius Strom for the idea.
>> ** I'm actually quite ignorant of these things. I spent yesterday afternoon installing wiki software and starting to figure out how it is edited, etc. Turns out to be quite easy.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> APBeta mailing list
>> APBeta at lists.astroplanner.net
>> http://lists.astroplanner.net/listinfo.cgi/apbeta-astroplanner.net
>>
>
> =========================================================
> If you lined up all the lawyers in the world end to end, no one would care.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:57:16 -0700
> From: Paul Rodman<paul at ilanga.com>
> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers<apbeta at lists.astroplanner.net>
> Subject: Re: [APBeta] Documentation using a wiki
> Message-ID:<2471A1EE-4D99-400A-A4E7-B988EA5E9982 at ilanga.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> On Jun 20, 2010, at 3:29 PM, Dan Kuchta wrote:
>
>
>> Personally, I'm not a big fan of online documentation, wiki or otherwise. If manuals are well written and well organized, they can add dramatically to the usability of the software. By the same token, poorly written manuals can be miserable to wade through. While I'm sure writing manuals is not your favorite task, you are actually quite good at it and in my opinion, your manual is better than most commercial software I've purchased. In fact, it was one of the reasons I purchased AstroPlanner to begin with.
>>
>> On the other hand, I can certainly understand that you have limited time and would rather spend it writing code instead of manuals. A wiki can be an effective way of getting the information out there and letting the community help with the updates and additions. What you tend to lose is that coherent, organized "train of thought" that runs through a well written manual like yours.
>>
> I hear you. I still hope to have a manual. The V1.x manual has probably saved me a lot of support over the years (anecdotal evidence). Yes, it's a pain to write, but not the most onerous task I face (I'd rather be manual writing than trying to fix unreproducible Windows bugs, for example). It's also easier to slap together a manual using a word processor than messing around with wiki formatting, uploading images, etc.
>
> If I was doing it myself.
>
> The reason I like the wiki approach is (a) I can get editorial feedback, and editors can fix my grammar or logical errors/omissions on the spot, (b) third-parties (i.e. you guys) can add your own stuff to the manual and make it better, and (c) it's easier to modify dynamically as features change.
>
> Thinking about this further, for the sake of timeliness, I might be forced to go with a traditional manual. I am offloading the "reference" stuff into the built-in help system, but that's even slower than a wiki.
>
> Paul R.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:07:06 -0600
> From: Dave Eaglesham<dave at eaglesham.ca>
> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers<apbeta at lists.astroplanner.net>
> Subject: Re: [APBeta] Documentation using a wiki
> Message-ID:<4C1EC94A.80203 at eaglesham.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> A wiki is a good idea because it allows for the users to participate in
> its development. However, my observatory is does not have internet
> access, so I would still like to have a manual that I can download to my
> laptop for reference. Astroplanner v1 had a great manual which was one
> of the reasons for my choice of the software in the first place.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave Eaglesham
> dave at eaglesham.ca
>
>
> On 06/20/10 10:33 AM, Paul Rodman wrote:
>
>> I am thinking of creating a wiki (a la Wikipedia) for providing documentation for AstroPlanner V2* (in particular the "how to" stuff. The reference stuff will still be via embedded help). As a matter of interest, how many of you are
>>
>> a. Familiar with editing a wiki** (in this case it will probably be MediaWiki, as used by Wikipedia I believe)?
>> and/or
>> b. Would be interested in creating content for, or editing existing content of, such a wiki?
>>
>> Apart from (possibly) speeding up the release process, it would allow continuing feedback. e.g. if someone needs to use AstroPlanner to predict variable star peaks and this is not in the wiki, it could be added.
>>
>> I have also heard, but only in passing, that it is also possible to produce a PDF from a Wiki (for those who like printed manuals).
>>
>> Paul R.
>>
>> * Thanks to tester Marius Strom for the idea.
>> ** I'm actually quite ignorant of these things. I spent yesterday afternoon installing wiki software and starting to figure out how it is edited, etc. Turns out to be quite easy.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> APBeta mailing list
>> APBeta at lists.astroplanner.net
>> http://lists.astroplanner.net/listinfo.cgi/apbeta-astroplanner.net
>>
>>
>>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:14:41 +1200
> From: Paul Kemp<paul at bluedahlia.co.nz>
> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers<apbeta at lists.astroplanner.net>
> Subject: Re: [APBeta] Documentation using a wiki
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTinxOlToanaH3Yr2TfllFAGFwt3WuQ6pi2orkplo at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I've been quiet lately. Not much Astronomy happening down here in New
> Zealand (When it comes to me!!)
>
> I am for the Wiki. Many hands make light work.
>
> If it helps Paul get the product to the 'paying' public faster. I am all for
> it.
>
> I would be glad to help out.
>
> Paul Kemp
> 13.1" f5 Reflector with Argo Navis& Paracorr
> Auckland, New Zealand
> 36? 55' 09" South, 174? 43' 30" East
>
> --- The Southern Sentinel ---
> www.southernsentinel.co.nz
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>
> End of APBeta Digest, Vol 26, Issue 12
> **************************************
>
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