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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: [PATCH] Allow application to use a website for documentation.
From:       Tom Albers <tomalbers () kde ! nl>
Date:       2008-08-23 21:43:12
Message-ID: 1373880.m9BbOz3NS2 () kde ! nl
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Op zaterdag 23 augustus 2008 23:19 schreef u:
> Shouldn't this be discussed on kde-doc-english? I'm not talking about 
> the patch, but the actual concept (i.e. replacing offline docbook 
> documentation with a online wiki documentation). 

I have to disagree. It is purely about the creating the possibility for KDE \
applications to use a website as the source of documentation instead of the \
KHelpCenter.

> As Krzysztof already 
> pointed out there are serious drawbacks with regard to translation.

Wiki pages for example can be translated. But that's up to the maintainer of the \
application to judge fix. There are a lot of applications outside KDE repository that \
can not provide a translated docbook anyhow, because they don't have the \
infrastructure of KDE, and translating docbooks without that infrastructure is hard. 

> There are surely other drawbacks the documentation experts will point 
> out if you ask them about this idea.

We have a policy for the main modules that the applications need to have a docbook. \
I've no intention to change that policy at this moment. If we do want to change that, \
I agree we need to discuss that there.

> So please first discuss this with the documentation and translation 
> teams before you commit such a radical change.

I don't agree this is a radical change. All functionality stays as it is now, but it \
adds the possibility for the applications that want that to have a website as a \
source of documentation. I personally would prefer the documentation of Mailody on a \
wiki, it lowers the barier for changing it, it looks a lot better as KHelpCenter and \
in the past years there have been no translations made, so that's no issue for me.

> FWIW, IMO this change must not be committed before a way to provide 
> offline documentation has been implemented.

I have to disagree. Mailody is useless without Internet, so offline documentation is \
not needed for me. It's all about choice, provide the application maintainer the \
possibility to do it. I don't see any harm in committing this patch as it adds an \
option and does not change existing behaviour at all.

> It's a common misconception 
> among geeks that everybody has fast Internet access (because being 
> geeks most geeks have fast Internet access).

It's a common misconception that all applications can run without internet access ;-) \
Seriously I prefer online up-to-date good looking documentation than old one offline. \


Toma



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