[doc] User's Guide: goals, proposed structure

[Eric Rostetter]

Quoting "Brent J. Nordquist" <bjn@horde.org>:

It's always a mistake to ask me for an opinion (because I always seem
to have a contrary one). ;)

> Scope:  I'm beginning user documentation for the Horde "groupware"  
> applications:  IMP, Turba, Kronolith, Nag, and Mnemo.  I can see other
> "related" apps (SAM, forwards, vacation) getting added at some point, but
> I think separate documentation for "distinctly different" apps (Gollem,
> Chora, Troll, etc.) would probably be best... although DocBook makes
> combining and splitting very easy.  Sys. admin. documentation is a
> separate project, as is the FAQ.

I agree with seperate admin and user books.  I also agree with waiting
on what I'd call the "lesser" modules (forwards, SAM, etc).  I also agree
with seperate books for some modules such as chora, nic, whups, and
probably some others I can't think of right now.  But I disagree on 
your putting troll and gollem in that category.  I think those are
very much related to the other groupware apps.  Troll is similar enough
to IMP (email and usenet) and gollem is useful with the others.  I'd
make them part of the main groupware stuff.

> I also think it's important to break the document into very small atomic
> pieces, so that sites can more easily omit information on features that
> they have disabled site-wide. 

That's a great idea!

> entity.  Adding sections locally should be just as easy.

Fantastic (as I have local modules to add to it for my site).
 
> Suggestions very welcome as I work on this process!

Well, that's all you get for now as an irate user just came in after
nuking all his critical files and wants them backed up, plus my cat
needs to go to the vet for allergy shots... What a day...

-- 
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

"TAD (Technology Attachment Disorder) is an unshakable, impractical devotion
to a brand, platform, product line, or programming language. It's relatively
harmless among the rank and file, but when management is afflicted the damage
can be measured in dollars. It's also contagious -- someone with sufficient
political clout can infect an entire organization."

--"Enterprise Strategies" columnist Tom Yager.