[Bf-docboard] documentation tasks

[olivier.saraja at linuxgraphic.org]

Hello Purple,

> * Is there a list documentation tasks that need to done? I
> have seen the Wanted Pages but there is no priorities and I
> assume no ownership etc. and very little of it makes sense.

Prioritary things are mainly discussed here. For example, we learned in
this  list that the documentation is to be split along three axis (Core
documentation, Reference, Tutorials), and that the actual main focus is to
bring the actual documentation (with its current formalism and axis) to
the level of blender 2.40/2.41 (a lot of topics/chapters belongs to the
2.37 version).

As for the rest, any goodwilling people do what they want/love/know/are
able to, on the topics they want, with no priority at all. If you plan to
work on a single topic, go ahead, and drop a few lines here to say what
you have done, once done. If you want to work on a "big" subject (a whole
chapter, a major change of axis of some part of the documentation), then
drop a few lines here in order to discuss of it beforehand.

But at first, the documentation work should be fun for you to be done; if
it isn't, what you write would certain read dull and uninteresting at the
end for other people. So: enjoy yourself, work on the topics you have
interest in instead of items from a wanted/todo list. If your interests
meet the needs from such lists, then it's perfect! But don't get
embarassed by these lists, go ahead with what please you!

Just a notice: take the habit to check the Talk page before starting
working on it. Also look for the WIP tags on the TOC and/or the men at
work logos on the pages to make sure nobody is working on the very same
subject.

> As an example,
> http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/PartII/Selection
> describes select modes etc and says it's complete for 2.4.
> BUT has anyone used the undocumented [ctrl]+lmb lasso type
> select? I didn't know it was there until yesterday but it
> is massively useful to me - (since noodles I get a lot more
> investigative with the interface) - Is this something that
> needs documenting? (it's not in gestures either) Do people
> actually know it's there? Who gets to say a section is
> complete?

adding this type of select to the core documentation is a good idea. I
wasn't aware of it, personnally. The writer/re-writer/maintainer of a
section rules if, according to him, the section is complete. Getting the
documentation to the most up-to-date state is a matter of everybody, not a
few ones. So, *you* can perfectly add the lasso select type and then rule
that the section is finally complete ;) until someone comes with newer
info and says "hey, something is missing!".

> Am I missing visibility of project management or is there
> none? Is this something that people aren't volunteering for
> or people don't think is needed?

According to: http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Meta/WritersPool, S68
and Ewout are the managers of this part of the documentation project. They
defines (AFAIK, along with the Blender-Fundation and Ton) the axis of the
documentation projects. Many other people bring their insight in the
project too, like LetterRip, Spiderworm and many many others!

Cheers,
olivS