Help Section

[Mark]

I've just seen the help section of an SMF board and I have to say, it beats IPB.

You see, rather than just plain boring text, it has actual images of what say, the board index actually looks like based on your skin choice!

Another suggestion for teh help section is instead of "the administrator may have....." - actually read the settings and display what is actually going on! There's no reason we can't have HTML logic in help files!

One final thing: Export/import xml files for the help section, I see an xml file in /resources in 2.2 - so why can't we import our own!?

[Strange_Will]

I wondered if anyone actually used that stuff, my users rather ask my board instead of reading the help file ALL the time. It's right there, but they still don't use it. I'd rather have more functional features.

[Ryan Crocker]

Yeah, I would have to say that most users that I have encountered do not even bother to use the help file. They normally just post a topic on what the problem is.

[Brandon C]

I agree that not really many people utilize the Help Section on a regular basis, and if they have a problem, they just ask a member of staff or administrator, or post in a support forum (if applicable). Also, there is the comprehensive IPB 2.2.0 Documentation available as a free download that explains everything in great detail that ultimately provides for a more enjoyable read than that of the current Help Section.

[ZuCruTrooper2]

I agree that not really many people utilize the Help Section on a regular basis, and if they have a problem, they just ask a member of staff or administrator, or post in a support forum (if applicable). Also, there is the comprehensive

IPB 2.2.0 Documentation

available as a free download that explains everything in great detail that ultimately provides for a more enjoyable read than that of the current Help Section.

Tell me what end user is going to download the IPB 2.2 manual to learn how to post on a forum? Most user's won't even read my intro thread and so they ask why registration is enabled...

[Brandon C]

Tell me what end user is going to download the IPB 2.2 manual to learn how to post on a forum? Most user's won't even read my intro thread and so they ask why registration is enabled...

No end user will. Neither will they read the Help Section, most likely. People don't like doing that these days. But it doesn't hurt to post that they can download the Documentation available, should they want to read it.

[bfarber]

The documentation is LARGELY administrative...it doesn't cover the user side in great depth, and as such I wouldn't see why many end users would download it...

[Mark]

My users use the help section. Maybe because I've editted it so it matches what I am suggesting here.
Perhaps users don't use the help section because it's so outdated.

I mean, "the administrator may require you log in before you can post" means nothing to anyone, but "you have to log in before you can post [screeny of logging in]" does.