Aqua-Soft ForumsSee description at XWindows Dock v5.6 post #2.
Do you think a wiki-like F.A.Q. is viable?
i think a faq is a great idea. but there should also be a help file included with the dock. maybe forget the faq post idea and instead make a txt or psd file included with the installer in the zip.
I agree with xcadaverx.
Just to be clear: we're talking about a F.A.Q. here! Please don't mix the forum with the product; this is a consult specifically about a F.A.Q. :slant:
I'm not sure i understand the subject of the poll. Is it a FAQ about the forum or about XWD ?
If it's about the forum, yes it would be cool as this forums have many specific rules.
If it's about XWD, there is no need for a FAQ as there is a help.chm provided with it, which is available through the Help button in the Parameters window. A more in depth chm file with sections, index would be needed though :
- Introduction explaining the purpose of XWD
- Installation/deinstallation
- Language files : lit of available languages with links, installation how to
- Explanations and screenshot for each parameter
- Explanation about performance impact of parameters
- Docklets : brief summary of available docklets, how to install them, etc
Just to be clear this will be a FAQ about the application XWD, not the forum.
If anyone is in doubt regarding the rules and guidelines of the forum check out the link within my signature.
Here's my 2 cents worth
I think there should be a READ ME added to the zip file just to give new users a basic understanding of what things are and how to change stuff. However from experience people generally don't read these so a more detailed "XWD user guild" might be worth having here so we can point new members to and keep up dated as new versions are released.
It's a FAQ about XWD. It will be stickied to the top of the forum so new people can see it and not have to ask the same basic questions over and over. Though I think there should be a more thorough Help file within the Dock itself because the "Help" button kind of sucks. Though I think I will change my vote to having a FAQ at the top of the forum because then it would get updated more often.
Edit: mps69 beat me to the answer, I'm a slow typist.
Regarding the chm file, the community could work on it to lighten devs' work. This would be a nice community project.
The content of it could be used to make a FAQ as well. The Help file is a great thing when done right. With the index and the search function, you can easily find what you want really quickly. We could create a thread just about the creation of the Help file/FAQ, discuss the sections, share the jobs to be done, etc...
A F.A.Q. is within my reach, as it'd be placed inside the sub-forum. Other documents more tightly related to XWD should be requested at the 'Feature Request' thread as, yes, documentation is a software feature!
So, again, let's keep the focus on the F.A.Q. for now... 
ps: mps69, did you have second thoughts about this? basically, I'm doing this as I've found echo to my thoughts at your suggestion for the F.A.Q. 
I picked the 3rd, because no matter how organized you try to keep the forums, there will always be a few or more than a few people that don't read rules and directions. I mean take the "Skins and Support files" thread for XWD for example. Even though you repeatedly asked and even demanded that everyone migrate there skins there, you still have those people that don't pay attention. Now is a Wiki-like FAQ viable? Sure, but as you can see, this will be much more work for you Panta. If you think this is the best solution then Rock on, dude!
FAQ is a great idea, but the problem is having someone who can edit the first post and will be willing to make sure such task is done.
Other users can PM him with the questions and answers.
But I think it would be better to have a wiki, or a faq that anyone can edit (editions would need moderator's aproval to be made public).
I think a good way would be this one:
Have a F.A.Q. thread, closed (no more posts possible), with only one post, being it edited by whoever publishes it (Panta?). Then have another separate "Contributions to FAQ" thread where people can propose questions and answers to be added to the FAQ, and any other suggestions regarding to it.
Thanks matonga!
I don't know if you've read the poll announcement post at http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showpost.ph...635&postcount=2 (it seems you haven't) but you were the first one to really understand the nature of this poll and the wiki-like FAQ idea in general!
Yes, the FAQ would be a closed post and maintained mainly by me, with a compilation of Q&A generated mainly by the most seasoned users, who usually have to answer the same questions ad nauseum. From that point on, no question already answered at the FAQ would be answered again at any pinned thread; instead, the user would be led to the FAQ (note that the current rules about off-topic posts would still apply).
I don't know if you've read the poll announcement post at http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showpost.ph...635&postcount=2 (it seems you haven't) ...
Indeed yes I did read the announcement. 
But I'm like the first Zinclair: 2 kb of RAM. Can't fit everything into my lil' memory.
Ha! Sinclair? No way you could know about it from any source but readings; you're far from being that old...
Ha! Sinclair? No way you could know about it from any source but readings; you're far from being that old...
How old do you think I am?
BTW this is getting a little off-topic. Should we drop this conversation or continue by PM?
How old do you think I am?BTW this is getting a little off-topic. Should we drop this conversation or continue by PM?
shall we start a poll on it? 
EDIT: a wiki sounds like a good idea, and you wouldn't be reinventing the wheel were you to make a help file out of it.
Are you volunteering for that?shall we start a poll on it?EDIT: a wiki sounds like a good idea, and you wouldn't be reinventing the wheel were you to make a help file out of it.
I'm far from the idea of creating the Help file myself, but indeed it's highly desirable, so... who's taking this task?