Re: project ideas

[Roger Dingledine <arma@mit.edu>]

> One thing I would like to see come out of the Open Source Writers Group
> project is a series of short(ish), user-oriented, task-based documents
> that people can use to learn all sorts of different things about Linux,
> FreeBSD, and other Open Source software.  All written and released under
> an appropriate Open Source license, of course.
> 
> I see these documents being of three kinds: Quick References,
> Ten-Minute (or so) Tutorials, and Mini-Guides.  For example, here are some
> possible titles (off the top of my head):
[examples snipped] 
> As you can probably imagine, the list of QRGs, TMTs, and MGs is
> potentially infinite.  And each can be targetted at a different level of
> user (beginner, novice, expert, hacker).      

I encourage you to check out the task-helps section of the simple end-user
linux (seul) project, at
http://www.seul.org/dev/help/task-help/

Some of the goals for task-helps are:
* Short and to the point. 
* Written in simple language. 
* Written in a stepwise fashion so that they may be easily performed. 

The basic idea is to have simple documentation for simple tasks like opening
an xterm, shutting down your computer, copying/moving a file (including
between partitions), etc.
One day they might be integrated into a help browser, like gnome's or
kde's, with an engine that you ask "how do I copy a file?" and it pops
up a task-help suited to your experience level.

Anyway, we stopped working on task-helps a while ago. You guys are more
than welcome to grab our ideas, partially-written docs, and anything else
you want and run with them.

There might also be useful info in the May/April/March 1998 archives of
the seul-dev-help list, at http://www.seul.org/archives/seul/dev/help/

> I will provide web-space for HTML versions of the final docs, and I'll
> arrange for an ftp site where people can store files, etc.  In terms of
> resources (server space, etc.) I know a number of extremely generous
> people who are willing to support projects like these.  Just tell me what
> you think is needed, and I'll see what I can do.
 
Count me in the group of generous people with resources to put towards
this sort of thing. :) I've got 4 gigs free on seul's ftp site
currently, and can host a variety of projects on our webpages.

Thanks,
--Roger