[mythtv-users] Myth Documentation, was: Please shut up!

Rod Smith mythtv at rodsbooks.com
Mon Jan 29 16:36:42 UTC 2007


On Monday 29 January 2007 11:01, Steven Adeff wrote:
> On 1/29/07, Brian Wood <beww at beww.org> wrote:
> >
> > I still think just a single line indicating the version(s) the entry
> > refers to would be helpful.
>
> We would still have to go through all the pages when a new version is
> released to update this indication for changes so it doesn't help
> updating any and just adds to the screen clutter.

You're thinking about it from a (very diligent) maintainer's point of view, 
not a user's (reader's) point of view or the point of view of a casual wiki 
contributor.

From a reader's point of view, without an indication of the version to which 
an entry applies, users/readers can't know if the information applies to 
their setups. Users might simply not know, and know that they don't know, and 
therefore feel left in the dark; or they might ASSUME that an entry applies 
to whatever they're running and therefore run into aggravation when it 
doesn't work as they expect.

Casual wiki contributors won't rush in to edit their entries as soon as a new 
MythTV version is released, so if version information isn't included in 
initial entries, when a new MythTV version is released, there'll be ambiguity 
on that point unless somebody else goes in and adds that information at that 
time. If the information is included at entry-creation time, there'll be no 
need for anybody to add it later. That will, of course, leave the entry 
outdated, but at least readers (and potential contributors) will KNOW it's 
outdated.

-- 
Rod Smith
http://www.rodsbooks.com


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