65447 - mozilla newsgroups should have FAQs

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(mozilla.org :: Governance, task)

Description

[Andreas Franke (gone)]

I won't say there is no exception, but for most mozilla newsgroups it surely
makes sense to have an FAQ. I propose that for each newsgroup needing such a
thing a bug should be filed and added to this bug's dependency list. The URLs
for these FAQs should be mentioned on http://www.mozilla.org/community.html .

Is this is realized, most off-topic posts can be replied to with a simple
"Please read the FAQ." (aka RTFM ;)

Comment 1

[Andreas Franke (gone)]

Bug 65451 and bug 65456 are about making people read the FAQs.

Comment 2

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

There is always the worry that people will write FAQs instead of taking the time 
to write proper documentation (which, I believe, is higher priority than FAQs.) 
That said, if you can find people to write them, cool - but let's see if, 
following my negotiations with gerbil, we can't have some sort of integrated FAQ 
system (see my comment in bug 65457).

Gerv

Comment 3

[Andreas Franke (gone)]

Well, a simple FAQ can be created by simply copying stuff from the community
page (or linking to a section in it) and adding a handful links about the topic
of the newsgroup. For example, say we're talking about the XBL newsgroups. Some
relevant links would be (if they exist):
- the XBL project homepage
- XBL mozilla developer docs homepage
- XBL web-developer docs homepage
- (I don't believe there will ever be user docs for XBL)
- XBL QA pages
- XBL bugzilla queries
If the project homepage is well-organized, then all the information should be
already there, and a single link to the project homepage should be sufficient.
How long does it take to create this kind of FAQ? 10 minutes? How much
documentation can you write in 10 minutes? ;)

If there was an XBL section in gerbil's newzilla, a link pointing to it would
probably be sufficient for an FAQ... 

You can always get fancy and make really good, detailed, complex FAQs, but in
most cases it should be sufficient to have just a set of links, and that won't
take much time. If the mozilla.org web site has a good structure, then there may
be cases where a single link will be sufficient. So don't look at it as much
additional work, just use the good structure that will be offered by the website
reorg anyway... :) 

Comment 4

[Andreas Franke (gone)]

Just see it as an entry point for people who find their way to the newsgroups
not via the web site, but by searching the news server itself.

Comment 5

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

It's unfair to keep this bug assigned to me, because it raises people's 
expectations that I'll have time to do something about it. Sadly, this really 
isn't the case. CCing gerbil, as this impinges on his area.

Gerv

Comment 6

[David Gerard]

Regarding Comment #2, I'm on the verge of making a start on some of this stuff
because of an overwhelming need (to divert the present flood of end-user questions
in n.p.m.*). So I expect it'll be filled on a volunteer 'scratch the itch' basis,
and not divert people as such (since volunteers work on whatever they damned well
please).

As such, cc'ing myself :-)

Comment 7

[Reed Loden [:reed]]

--> Governance

Comment 8

[Zak Greant]

Should this be a governance bug? Governance deals with the processes and systems by which an organization or society operate.

I am not sure how creating these FAQs fits in with this.

Comment 9

[Reed Loden [:reed]]

zak: Please only change the assignee and not the QAContact when you are taking a bug. Many of us watch the QAContact for changes with Governance bugs, and by changing it, it causes bugmail to be lost and never seen. Thanks!

Comment 10

[Zak Greant]

Hrm. The governance question here is: "Should newsgroups be required to have FAQs". This is a mozilla.org staff issue. Filing for moz.org staff review

Comment 11

[Zak Greant]

We seem to be coping well enough without a specific policy.

Please file individual bugs for specific mailing lists as is needed.