Volunteer thread

[nathandiehl]

2. i would love to proofread (on a limited basis) for ANY of the DOC teams.

other:
1. as i can. i can't make a per-week commitment. (and all i am willing to volunteer for at this time is proofreading, not copywriting)
2. i worked as a copy editor previously. i know AP style, but the basics are the same regardless.
3. US: EDT/EST
4. American English, but i'm somewhat familiar with UK/Austrailian english
5. no...you wouldn't want me to translate..

[Michelle Bisson]

Thank you nathandiehl for offering to help! 

Proof-reading is really important for us especially since we are concentrating our energies on getting the 1.5 Help Screens ready.

[Michelle Bisson]

The General Documentation Team has decided that we will not be intergrating new members into our team over the next month, but rather we will concentrate our energies into getting the Help Screens ready for 1.5.  (It is very time consuming integrating new members to our team and most find that they do not have time to give to this project)


For those who wish to help can still do so.  The best way you can help us (in the short term) is by reading through the Administration manuals for 1.0x and 1.5 and post your suggestions for corrections here in this forum.


Thank you!!!

[t17169]

Hi Michelle,

Without a committment and when time permits, I'm more than happy to do some proofreading of what exists.  eg: Last night, I posted typos on P.21 of the manual on this board:

http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/board,59.0.html

Was that correct or should they go here?  Is this a type of participation you're interested in?  Also, should Joomla in the manual always be Joomla! with the exclamation point?  And finally, are all the old To Do's on the board linked above still outstanding?

Thanks.

[Michelle Bisson]

t17169,

Was that correct or should they go here?  Is this a type of participation you're interested in? 

Yes

Also, should Joomla in the manual always be Joomla! with the exclamation point?

 

Yes

And finally, are all the old To Do's on the board linked above still outstanding?

In many cases yes.  You are welcome to go through them one at a time as your time allows.  If it is written [2 revision] in the subject line, there may not be many corrections or none at all.

We do suggest reading the  Editorial Style Guide as it will help you know what we are expecting.
http://help.joomla.org/content/category/39/168/214/

Thanks again!

[jny99]

Hi,

I'm creating a set of visual tutorials for Joomla for beginners and basically people who are too impatient to look at manuals. I'm trying to get the word out to people who haven't heard how easy Joomla is.

http://www.screenbooks.net/e/joomla/sbframetoc.htm

The tutorials are created with this program: http://www.screenbooks.net

They can be converted into Windows Help format or any other format very easily.

If there is some way to coordinate with the Joomla documentation team on what you'd like covered, I'd be glad to add tutorials as requested.

[Michelle Bisson]

jny99,

Thanks for your offer to help in the area of writing tutorials!  It looks like you have some excellent tutorials already written. We are developing a Recommended reading section for these types of tutorials.

Some of the possible topics are:
Ex.
1. Creating Menus
2. Sections, Categories and Content Items
3. Users and Administrators
4. Creating custom modules (beginner)
5. Modules
6.  Frontpage Manager
7.  Contact Manager
8. Creating Polls
9.  Creating Content
10. Media Manager

Other topics could be added to this list.

It would be great if you could tackle some of these topics.  If anyone else wishes to write some mini-tutorials on any of these sujects, then please feel free to go ahead.

The tutorials published on the Help Site will be licenced Creative Commons and you as the author will retain your copyrights.  You will  be responsable for writing, editing and proof-reading your own work. 

Thanks again for your offer!

[jny99]

jny99,

Thanks for your offer to help in the area of writing tutorials!  It looks like you have some excellent tutorials already written. We are developing a Recommended reading section for these types of tutorials.

Some of the possible topics are:
Ex.
1. Creating Menus
2. Sections, Categories and Content Items
3. Users and Administrators
4. Creating custom modules (beginner)
5. Modules
6.  Frontpage Manager
7.  Contact Manager
8. Creating Polls
9.  Creating Content
10. Media Manager

I think I've got #1 and #2 covered in the current set of tutorials, although I could create short tutorials just specifically addressing #1 and #2 if that would be helpful.

I'm going to add the JoomlaXplorer, various media mambots and SWMenuFree next week. I can do 3, 6-10 shortly thereafter. Not sure what to do with #5. I plan at some point to do something with creating custom mambots, modules, and components.

BTW, I noticed that there is a plan afoot to make a Docbook version - the program I use to create these visual tutorials can output any text format. The tutorials are created in xml and then converted to html via stylesheets, which can be easily changed. If you have a particular docbook format you'd like, just show me a sample and I'll make the tutorials output in that format. They can also be output in .chm format.

-Joe

[visionspin]

Hey, I just wanted to second the appreciation for your willingness to do tutorials. We have wanted to include tutorials on the Help Site for quite some time, lacking only the volunteers to do so. Thanks!

[Michelle Bisson]

Joe, I have sent you a skype message.

[rscos]

2. Occasionally contributing towards writing, editing, and proof-reading (only when you have time - no commitment to the project)

I contributed with proof-reading a couple of times when it was mambo under a different username.
Will be moving to gibraltar in a couple of weeks, can really start contributing after that, but before then can do some proof-reading etc.


Other Questions:
1. How many hours/week are you able to commit to?
2-5

2. Do you have any special skills and experience that may be of particular interest to the Doc Team?

In my current job I create installation guides and user guides

3. What is your time zone?

GMT


4. Is English your first language?  If not, what language is?
Yes

[Michelle Bisson]

rscos,

Thanks for your offer to help.  Please feel free to post your suggestions in this forum for corrections and modifications to any of the Official documents on the Help Site.

Thanks!

[ASk]

Hi,

I'm a technical writer with about 8 years of experience developing online help and API documentation. I'm now migrating my static website (has been stagnating for 3 years ) to Joomla! So I might be able help in testing the documentation and provide support to active contributors by sharing work load with them as an occasional contributor.

1. How many hours/week are you able to commit to?
    About 4-5 hours a week. When I have time between projects at work, I can commit more.

2. Do you have any special skills and experience that may be of particular interest to the Doc Team?
    Technical writer - online help, API documentation, reviewing and functional testing.

3. What is your time zone?
    GMT +5.30 hrs. Delhi.

4. Is English your first language?  If not, what language is?
    Nope... English isn't my first language. I speak Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, French, German, and of course English

-ASk

[chris4780]

Please read this thread first.

Do you want to help out? http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,429.0.html

1. Actively contributing on a regular basis towards writing, editing, and proof-reading  (5 hours/week commitment)
Yes I would like to help and can commit to 5hrs or more a week.

1. How many hours/week are you able to commit to?
5+

2. Do you have any special skills and experience that may be of particular interest to the Doc Team?
No Just basic html and learning pdf at the moment. I am good at finding information on the internet.

3. What is your time zone?
I live in the UK so my time zone is GMT

4. Is English your first language? Yes my only language

I am Christopher Campion my Forum name is chris4780
The quickest way to contact me is [email protected]
Just a quick note I am currently working on the manual and making pdf version of the administrators
manual.


.... then publish your answers to the questionaire here.

Thank you!!!

[Michelle Bisson]

chris4780 & ASk,

Thanks for your offer to help!  I will get back to you soon.

[ASk]

Excellent.. looking forward to some Joomla documentation work

[timjowers]

Hello,

    We are promoting open source for small business by writing a book
summarizing what is available for business. We would like your review
and input for /joomla! and appreciate a link to our book as
possible. The book is located at
http://www.serviza.com/SoftwareIsFree-ForBusiness.pdf and will be
released at the end of the month. An updated version is planned for
January 2007 if you may have material to contribute. We welcome
listing additional authors, contributors, et cetera as the goal is to
persuade small business owners to the wealth of OpenSource available.
The plan is to released the book through LuLu press and under GPLv2.

Thank you for your assistance,
Tim Jowers
[email protected]
http://www.serviza.com

[Michelle Bisson]

timjowers,

Thank you for sharing!

[Michelle Bisson]

All those who have volunteered to contribute to the User Documentation Project, please read :

How you can contribute to the Documentation Project?

http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,102299.0.html

Thank you!