Documentation Project: Proposals

Liquid error: undefined method `login' for nil:NilClass : September 6th, 2006

Hi guys. If you've missed it, we've been [brainstorming](http://caboose.stikipad.com/documentation/show/HomePage) how to spend that big wad of cash that's been burning up the documentation fund. If you haven't browsed the current suggestions and added your own input, [please do so](http://caboose.stikipad.com/documentation/show/HomePage). We'd like to see something _happen_ with this money so we're ready for [proposals](http://caboose.stikipad.com/documentation/show/Author+Proposals). If you are interested in being subsidized to help push the documentation in the right direction go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself, why you're qualified to write documenation, and what you'd like to work on. I think at the moment the consensus is that **we'd like at least one person working on the api directly**. That being said, your input matters. We'd like to do this out in the open and want the Rails community (and especially the donors) to participate. Please do [go speak up](http://caboose.stikipad.com/documentation/show/HomePage) and please do [tell us how you'd like to help out](http://caboose.stikipad.com/documentation/show/Author+Proposals). Feel free to point any tech writers this way as well.
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7 Responses to “Documentation Project: Proposals”

  1. Pius Says:
    September 6th, 2006 at 02:41 PM

    OK, let’s do this . . . I’ll throw my little firm’s hat in the ring. http://www.uyiosa.com/railsdocumentationproposal.html

    I’d love to help out . . . if there’s somewhere more appropriate for me to post or submit, let me know.

  2. Pius Says:
    September 6th, 2006 at 02:42 PM

    OK, let’s do this . . . I’ll throw my little firm’s hat in the ring. http://www.uyiosa.com/railsdocumentationproposal.html

    I’d love to help out . . . if there’s somewhere more appropriate for me to post or submit, let me know.

  3. Sebastian Says:
    September 6th, 2006 at 03:32 PM

    I think the effort should be entirely concentrated on extending the API documentation itself. There’s certainly plenty of work to be done and a few hired hands could do wonders in a short time. Fact is that there IS great documentation out there, it’s just spread all over (API, wiki, railsweenie, caboose, blogs etc.) and hard to reconcile. Thus I just don’t see the point in creating yet another reference from scratch that would further contribute to this Balkanization. Concentrating your efforts on the API would ensure long-term benefits without risking entropy after the funds run out.

  4. Phil Says:
    September 7th, 2006 at 03:32 AM

    we’d like at least one person working on the api directly

    Wha?

    I think you mean one person working on the rdoc directly.

  5. Pascal Says:
    September 8th, 2006 at 07:44 PM

    Most of the ideas on the wiki look interesting. I think the 2 most critical are: - helping people get started. There are a number of tutorials out there, and building on them would be a great start - a thorough, and most importantly UP-TO-DATE, API documentation is key

    From a process perspective, it seems to me that the wiki is good for collectings “final” things, but not very conducive to dialog, but maybe that’s just me. Maybe it is just a matter of having a comment/dialog section at the bottom of each page where discussion can occur and the main part reflects the current conclusion/decision/consensus, or use a different vehicle such as a forum or a blog. Thoughts?

  6. Mark Carey Says:
    September 19th, 2006 at 07:26 AM

    Another vote for a fully updated version of the api/rdoc with plenty of code examples.

    Also it would be great to have a user comment system similar to php.net’s library docs. Or a wiki linked to/from the api.

  7. Aaron Blohowiak Says:
    September 19th, 2006 at 11:50 AM

    RDoc without frames!

    Please.

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