[OSM-talk] OSM pdf manual

[David Groom]

I'm not sure changing the About page is the way to go for two reasons:

1) I assume people like it the way it is or they would have altered it.

2)  The about us page, and others on the wiki, are meant for viewing in web 
browsers, and hence tend to be structured as short pages with (multiple) 
links to other pages.  My original idea to have a page dedicated to the 
production of the pdf manual was that it would be one long page, with each 
section becoming a chapter in the pdf manual.  Initially it would however 
draw upon much of the  text already in the wiki.

Nick Black has already spoken of the fact that the wiki is not the best 
place for newcomers to OSM to understand what it is all  about. I have to 
agree with him, on the basis of two people I know who have looked at the 
wiki, and still are unclear as to how to proceed.

Also as Nick has said the ability to have one document which could be 
printed out and read would I think be useful.

David


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "SteveC" <steve at asklater.com>
To: "Nick Black" <nickblack1 at gmail.com>
Cc: <talk at openstreetmap.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: [OSM-talk] OSM pdf manual


* @ 10/05/06 07:34:41 AM nickblack1 at gmail.com wrote:
> On 5/10/06, Lars Aronsson <lars at aronsson.se> wrote:
> >
> >Nick Black wrote:
> >
> >> Yes.  I was talking with someone about this over the weekend in
> >> the IoW. Maybe a Wiki isnt the best place for an introduction, a
> >> static web page or a Wiki that requires a group consensus to
> >> change would be the best idea.  I think also that there should
> >> be a very obvious "If you are New to OSM Click Here" link on the
> >> main page,
> >
> >The wiki's Main Page already has an obvious headline "New to
> >OpenStreetMap?" and a link to that says "About the Project".
> >Next to it is a link to an "introduktion på svenska".
>
>
> Sorry - obvious to anyone who looks at the site 20 times a day like 
> everyone
> on the mailing list.  Not obvious to several newcomers who I have talked 
> to
> about this.  OSM will not grow much more unless we attract non computer
> specialists.  The techie market is not a massive one.
>
> The obvious headline, link, and page are already there.  Maybe the
> >"About" page needs a rewrite.  Hey, it's a wiki, you can edit it.
>
>
> Which is why I have offered to and have been doing so.  I just dont see 
> what
> the issue is with trying to make the site as easy to use for newcomers as 
> we
> possible can do?

Similar to the leaflet you made, I think there is space for a pdf that
people can print out and read on the train. Maybe the way would be to
spec out the text and pictures on the About page (thus cleaning that up
and letting peopple contribute easily) and then creating a pdf from
that?

have fun,

SteveC steve at asklater.com http://www.asklater.com/steve/

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