Forum OpenACS Q&A: Just the FAQs, please.

OK, there has been much Sturm und Drang here about
organization. And it's true that a lot of good info gets lost.

So here's what I propose:

If there's a topic that interests you, be it XML-RPC, how to use the
CMS, or what have you, please take a little time to gather the
URLs of where all the interesting info for your topic is scattered.

When you've done that, please post your suggestion for a new
FAQ to this thread. Include the following information:

- Topic for the FAQ list
- The questions
- If the information already exists, the URLs for the answers

With Ben's help, Jerry Asher or I will then create said FAQ for you.

Beware: Once you suggest the FAQ, there is an outstanding
chance that you will be asked to maintain it.

A FAQs FAQ is actually a good idea; that way people can easily
find out how to start one.

Let's collect a list here first and then I'll put up a batch of them.
Since the FAQ-creating process is a little cumbersome at the
moment due to unresolved quirks in the permissions system, it'll
be easier for me to hand Ben a list of FAQ titles and have him do
them all at once.

As I stated back in April or May, I still think that WP could be a more powerful documentation tool than FAQ. The only critical feature that is missing is a way to add all registered users to the list of collaborators. Can any of the real hackers here give me an idea of what it would take to implement this?

If we had this enhancement then we could link to the "show presentation, with comments and edit links" option. Registered users could add comments and pages, and comments would be displayed inline with the page. I think this scenario has most of the collaborative advantages of a Wiki while maintaining all of the specific advantages of WP; content reuse, web presentations, ability to save versions, ability to upload graphics, etc.

If we can implement this feature I volunteer to convert all of the current documentation and we can test the idea of community documentation on our servers, with our tools.

1. Collaboration:

how can I collaborate with the OpenACS project?

where can I learn about: Tc, SQL, aolserver.?

Who is involved?

why should I do it?

why tcl?

why aolserver?

why is openACS data-based driven?

2. Products/ modules?

What is: calendar, bboard,...

3. Installation:

Where do I get the code,

minimum platform requirements

scalability

Is there a RH RPM?

where do I get Oracle?

where do I get postgres

These are all great suggestions. I think this will work out well. I'm
traveling at the moment, but as soon as I get home I will write up
and post a FAQs FAQ that, among other things will give detailed
suggestions on the quickest and most efficient way to assemble
all the required info for a new FAQ.

Just so you know, there have been a few ideas for
enhancements to this system being batted about. First, we are
considering adding a "suggest a FAQ" link to the bottom of each
FAQ so that members at large can pose new questions (and
hopefully answers as well) to existing FAQs. Second, we're
talking about the possiblity of scoping FAQs so that individuals
can have admin rights for specific individual FAQs. That way, if
you're the community expert on, say, qmail, you can be put in
charge of maintaining that FAQ. And finally, David Eison has
suggested that FAQ maintainers get an "add this URL to the
FAQ" link added to their ad_footer to faciliate easier updates. (I
think this last suggestion is particularly brilliant.)

Excellent work. Thanks Michael and Jerry.