[user-docs] Anything happening re end-user docs?

[Jean Weber <je...@gmail.com>]

Now that the migration to Apache is well advanced and builds are
becoming available, my mind turns again to the area in which I could
potentially contribute something: end-user documentation. We discussed
this some months ago, with various suggestions for the type of docs
needed and the relationship of docs to other forms of support, some of
which is summarised here:
https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=27826116

Meanwhile, the old dev@docs.ooo list has been getting a steady stream
of potential contributors to documentation. Apparently the suggestion
to wannabe techwriters that contributing to an open source project
such as OOo is a good way to develop skills has been passed around
thoroughly. (I promoted this a few years ago, along with others.) Most
of these people won't turn out to be much help, but I'd certainly like
to encourage them to get involved here. But newcomers and
inexperienced people in particular need some sort of framework to fit
into. I don't have time to do much except nudge now and then and point
people in the right direction -- and at this point I'm not sure what
the right direction is.

I may have missed something, but a browse through the past several
months' archives didn't turn up any more info about end-user docs,
so...

Will the Symphony online user docs be made available and if so, any idea when?

Will IBM or some other sponsor be providing experienced technical
writers to form a core of end-user documentation people? If so, any
idea when? Such a core of people could develop the necessary framework
for volunteers' contributions.

ODFAuthors may continue updating its user guides, and that's certainly
an area in which I can encourage people to participate (because it
won't happen unless enough people work on them).

However, many people express interest in working on shorter items.
Does anyone think we should (or should not) pursue the production of
FAQs, How-tos, tutorials, and other "traditional" forms of online user
assistance? Much of the legacy OOo materials are out of date (e.g.,
describing OOo 2.x features that have changed enough to make the
instructions useless or totally confusing) and IMO should be scrapped
or flagged in some way as out of date until some volunteer can rewrite
them.

--Jean