Quelle:
http://blogs.secondlife.com/communi...yay-making-existing-help-pages-easier-to-find
[YAY] Making existing help pages easier to find?
Posted by Torley Linden on Oct 25, 2010 9:41:33 AM
I won't mince words, and I know it's human to feel this way: IT SUCKS WHEN HELP EXISTS AND YOU CAN'T FIND IT. You search, it doesn't turn up. You manually browse, you attack the darkness, still doesn't come out. You're all like "Double-you-tee-eff!!!!!" until a helpful fellow Resident points out that there's a broken link that was blocking you, or something else which should be ridiculously easy to fix. But that helpful Resi also understandably gives an exasperated sigh on the inside, because they have to manually do this each time someone has the same problem — and it's a hot problem!
facepalm_cat.jpg
If only a Linden knew and did something about it.
That's what this is about, since Resident Enlightenment (good gosh, what is that?) is one of my so-called "key responsibilities".
Let's talk real, not theory. Leading off from my recent post specifically about the Scripting Library, you know I love folding multiple steps into one, removing slop and waste so you get what you expect. Or better.
And often, putting useful instructions in front prevents much wasted time later. That's why I'm on a rampage — a help rampage — to connect the dots.
For example, I often encourage Resis (endearing abbreviation for "Residents") to check out the help pages on the Second Life Wiki (linked to from the Support Portal) and to search and contribute. But as followup, I found myself tediously typing out the same instructions time and time again — I paused myself and dealt with the root, by updating the wiki's own navigation links and pages.
The wiki now has a revised, friendly About & Help page, and it'd be swell if you took a sec to have a look.
Among numerous other "little things that make a big difference", I've also (for now) highlighted the wiki's search box in yellow to give it emphasis. This, in response to the many "How do I search?" I get. Seem obvious? Don't laugh, we were all new once. Also, astutes may be wondering 'Why's there a Go and Search button?" See that previous link.
Okay too much words for now so a picture.
What wiki.secondlife.com looks like on 2010-10-25 - Second Life Wiki_1288023447946
My wiki co-showrunners (listed on that About & Help page, of course) are working on further goodness.
Still can't find something you've seen before? Let me know the specifics in the comments and I'll research.
Now, onto the forums...
These might not have proper "stickies" (why?) and Featured Content has been buggy, but as a "something far better than nothing", I can certainly add a widget box which makes super-useful threads more visible, as seen in the Scripting Library. (I can change font size later, this is all subject to adaptation and removing unneeded redundancy.)
blogs.secondlife.com Scripting Library on 2010-10-25 - Second Life Blogs: Channel: Scripting Library_1288024370734
Do you have a nomination for an ultra-useful forum thread that you're frustrated having to bump up for newcomers? Let me know in the comments.
To set expectations, I'm only including what's broadly useful (which sadly, disqualifies lolcats, altho they're broadly memeful) and in some cases, it may be better to have a single link to a page collecting useful links, as is the case with the earlier Scripting Library example. But I don't know that until I hear from you.
Also, for the purposes of this post, I'm focusing on the (1) wiki and (2) forums, but I'd still like to hear about "help breakers" that are flat-out wrong or confusing on our official secondlife.com properties and in the Viewer. Like the fact we do support 64-bit Windows 7.
I'm done now. But I'll be back in the comments, promise.
400px-End_of_line.jpg
Who is a Torley and what does it do? Find out at your own risk!
145 Views Tags: i_stopped_using_these_awhile_ago
http://blogs.secondlife.com/communi...yay-making-existing-help-pages-easier-to-find
[YAY] Making existing help pages easier to find?
Posted by Torley Linden on Oct 25, 2010 9:41:33 AM
I won't mince words, and I know it's human to feel this way: IT SUCKS WHEN HELP EXISTS AND YOU CAN'T FIND IT. You search, it doesn't turn up. You manually browse, you attack the darkness, still doesn't come out. You're all like "Double-you-tee-eff!!!!!" until a helpful fellow Resident points out that there's a broken link that was blocking you, or something else which should be ridiculously easy to fix. But that helpful Resi also understandably gives an exasperated sigh on the inside, because they have to manually do this each time someone has the same problem — and it's a hot problem!
facepalm_cat.jpg
If only a Linden knew and did something about it.
That's what this is about, since Resident Enlightenment (good gosh, what is that?) is one of my so-called "key responsibilities".
Let's talk real, not theory. Leading off from my recent post specifically about the Scripting Library, you know I love folding multiple steps into one, removing slop and waste so you get what you expect. Or better.
And often, putting useful instructions in front prevents much wasted time later. That's why I'm on a rampage — a help rampage — to connect the dots.
For example, I often encourage Resis (endearing abbreviation for "Residents") to check out the help pages on the Second Life Wiki (linked to from the Support Portal) and to search and contribute. But as followup, I found myself tediously typing out the same instructions time and time again — I paused myself and dealt with the root, by updating the wiki's own navigation links and pages.
The wiki now has a revised, friendly About & Help page, and it'd be swell if you took a sec to have a look.
Among numerous other "little things that make a big difference", I've also (for now) highlighted the wiki's search box in yellow to give it emphasis. This, in response to the many "How do I search?" I get. Seem obvious? Don't laugh, we were all new once. Also, astutes may be wondering 'Why's there a Go and Search button?" See that previous link.
Okay too much words for now so a picture.
What wiki.secondlife.com looks like on 2010-10-25 - Second Life Wiki_1288023447946
My wiki co-showrunners (listed on that About & Help page, of course) are working on further goodness.
Still can't find something you've seen before? Let me know the specifics in the comments and I'll research.
Now, onto the forums...
These might not have proper "stickies" (why?) and Featured Content has been buggy, but as a "something far better than nothing", I can certainly add a widget box which makes super-useful threads more visible, as seen in the Scripting Library. (I can change font size later, this is all subject to adaptation and removing unneeded redundancy.)
blogs.secondlife.com Scripting Library on 2010-10-25 - Second Life Blogs: Channel: Scripting Library_1288024370734
Do you have a nomination for an ultra-useful forum thread that you're frustrated having to bump up for newcomers? Let me know in the comments.
To set expectations, I'm only including what's broadly useful (which sadly, disqualifies lolcats, altho they're broadly memeful) and in some cases, it may be better to have a single link to a page collecting useful links, as is the case with the earlier Scripting Library example. But I don't know that until I hear from you.
Also, for the purposes of this post, I'm focusing on the (1) wiki and (2) forums, but I'd still like to hear about "help breakers" that are flat-out wrong or confusing on our official secondlife.com properties and in the Viewer. Like the fact we do support 64-bit Windows 7.
I'm done now. But I'll be back in the comments, promise.
400px-End_of_line.jpg
Who is a Torley and what does it do? Find out at your own risk!
145 Views Tags: i_stopped_using_these_awhile_ago
