[Bf-docboard] Suggestions to improve wiki useability

[Cal McGaugh]

Hi Keston,

 As I began to look closely at the current pages that Jim assigned me to edit
(Sketching) ,  I realized why I hadn't been using the
wiki more in the past.....I find the current formatting very distracting, and
difficult to extract & understand
the relevant info of the page.

So I took the liberty to remove most of the template code to see how it would
look.
e.g. "Description",  "Options", "Usage" etc,  the in-line button images,
numbering each heading (1.2.1.2 etc),
and the large darker boxes (at least in the Naiad skin version).

They are un-necessary, and in fact, counter-productive to useability, imho.

I showed this to Jim Tucker and he seemed to think it was an improvement.

Here is the current version of this page using templates
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/3D_interaction/Sketching/Drawing

And this is the one that I edited by removing most of the templates.
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Megacal

I kept the relevant headings with their font size & bolding, also bulleted
points. The rest was redundant and distracting......at least for me, and
I think for many others as well.

Not only would it make the pages easier to use, it makes it easier to create &
edit if we aren't constrained to use
the templates. This does not mean that pages would become inconsistant.....the
style should always be consistant.

"The main purpose of wiki maintenance is to ensure that the content of each page
provides the user with a clear,
concise and up-to-date description of the Blender function in the current
version. Over and above this, the page
should conform with the User Manual context (see below) so that we keep a
uniform User Manual layout." ....should always be the standard.

I'd also like to propose doing a user poll at Blenderartists.org (if you think
it would be productive and help to improve useability)  to ask if:

* Do you use the wiki?
* How often % vs videos and/or books?
* Do you have any suggestions for improving it so you would use it more?
* What do you think of this page vs this page?  (the current version vs my
proposed version).
BTW,  I didn't realize until after I had started the editing that Fade had
already started working on the Sketching pages.......I tried to contact him/her
to see if they wanted to finish
alone, with my help, or would want me to finish the pages....no reply , so am
not publishing the pages yet, though did submit it to Jim for review.

There's a good primer on website useability, Don't Make Me Think
<http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/0321344758/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357869508&sr=8-1&keywords=book+don%27t+make+me+think>
, and I believe the same idea makes sense for the wiki, too.

I was going to post this at the doc-board, but wanted to get your Ok first. It
may have even already been proposed years ago.....I'm still wet behind the ears
here & in Blender.

If you do think it's worth pursuing, I'd even be willing to limit my editing to
cleaning up all the current pages.......it would be a good project to keep me
off the streets. =)

Whatever you think is best, I'll abide with it.

Thanks,
Cal






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