OMG, another manual thread! :O

[ZakRhyno]

Okay once a upon a time I got a link to error codes look up on the resource page from IPB staff, now I go their to look it up and it all gone. Hard to find were the information is. I love when things are move and their is no link to were it goes, so I go do a search for error codes. I get nothing in my return results. So I put "error codes" still get nothing but error is over 1000 so it not going to use the word. Lovely even the system say ha ha. Okay, I'm now royally T-Off, document their seems to so much of it but yet the structure of how it is apply to IPB it not good.

I keep getting "we update are articles," "how can we improve on it," "just look in the resource side," or even "just post on the forums." Okay for people whom are of the higher coder knowledge and well around people whom know PHP, server stuff, skinning, AJax, and many other things that runs that might be good but for people who want are on the starting level, how are learning were that is, how to install this. The current set up don't work! But, "how can we improve on this," truly lesson to the customer and do more then one side of the customer pool. Right now the IP Nexus will be going out soon, that great! the blogs were neat. the hype was great, but!, I bet you when it comes out it like how do you this or that with very little to how to do anything with in the system or a manual on how to do stuff within the system. I get the idea of the most of to date information is on IPB which is find but stuff should be ship out with IPB board and products.

Example is error codes, I would LOVE to type in my error code and pop it tells me right in my little board what I need to do or know so I know what to do next, BUT, I come here and search for 30 minuties to find out I have to follow a link to a link to a question then to another link to find the main place that will answer my question. Their have been post before about the topic but IPB Staff have yet to give us any information about anything that would help the end user whos trying to understand the very product that was sold to them that was so great. Don't get me wrong IPB has gone leaps and bounds in the last year but not what really needs to be done. If the problem is staff does this or does that then higher one person to just do the main help articles in details, with pictures, laymen terms etc. I'm not just speaking for myself but others who have +1 me in the pass under other documents request thread.

I will push and post the same issue as before, lack of document for the beginner to novice is lacking in details and information. Not trying to get the hands down to IPB butvBulletin already got this done and IPB needs to get on ball if they want to out do VBulletin which they have been doing but more need to be done. Come on step up and get a hit and please stop striking out.

Zak

[Dlf]

Not to be rude but that paragraph could improve, with breaks, a few sentences than a split . . .

[ZakRhyno]

Not to be rude but that paragraph could improve, with breaks, a few sentences than a split . . .

Well at least that better somewhat.

[SkimPappa]

Dif that was rude & not needed. Didn't help the topic one bit.
They do have a manual for the old version http://www.invisionpower.com/files/ipb23gsg.pdf
It would be fantastic if they spent a full day updating this document and making it work for the newest version.

This is a good start though. The built in help located in the admin CP helps on some pages, but is missing on others.
http://community.invisionpower.com/index.php?app=core&module=help (or substitute your site) provides a starting point for new members. I made a forum redirect called help linked to that.

http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ipb/ has a tutorial, although its also for the older version.

Good luck, If you have any specific questions please ask.

[Mark]

All documentation is here: http://community.invisionpower.com/resources/documentation/
There is a lot there which has taken months to build up and it's a resource which is commonly overlooked. If there is something you need assistance with which isn't there, please let me know.

[ZakRhyno]

Why not put a link to the documentation area in a tab at the top of the navigation, people wouldn't have to go the front page, being an IPS customer I when to the first place I would think it would be localed at, the resource tab up top. Also why not make the information on the documentation page not be at the bottom. I'm reading and looking for the information that at the bottom of the page on the left side (Developer Docs · Error Codes · Community Resources · Skin Generator · Community Forums). I just fell that it can be made better. Also information that users should know about should't be put here and put their so it would be hard to find. An example is the Newest News in the document area their is a link to IP.Content articels load slowly.

The other information and news of this type should be place in the forums as well as their so people can look at on center local for all information and the way it set up currently all information is mostly around the forums area or in the navigation up top. To better keep this flow going a link to the documents should be place up top. Information that is need should't be at the bottom of the page. Information like Error Codes should come up in a search if a user was looking for information and can't find it. Articles that have to do with fixes and such should be post to an area that is update and people see all the time. (I.E. The forums here). Also, I have yet to get feedback on my considers and answer to my questions from my previous post. I feel that I was just throwing my answer and not being answer back.

This is how IPB can improve on this front.

Zak

[bfarber]

If you are looking for something specific in the documentation that isn't there, likewise, please explain what is missing.

People say "we need more documentation" without telling us what isn't documented. We aren't fond of writing up random articles no body needs. "To post a topic you click the 'Start New Topic' button". That's great and all, but I'd argue isn't really useful.

[ZakRhyno]

If you are looking for something specific in the documentation that isn't there, likewise, please explain what is missing.

People say "we need more documentation" without telling us what isn't documented. We aren't fond of writing up random articles no body needs. "To post a topic you click the 'Start New Topic' button". That's great and all, but I'd argue isn't really useful.

In general clear, walks through, examples, pictures, not just text. SkimPappa brings up a great link. Stuff like this adding more stuff like this is what need to be an template of what should be done then just text all the time. There are other question I ask and such that have yet to be answer, about navigation, adding error codes to package so it with the IPB product and not just here on the site for quicker and better way to address issue, layout out information that is better for people to find then just in the main document location that was not even known about (It was in resource part). Other things can be expanded above as in my last two postings. So I no need to go into details while it all up their. *points up*

[bfarber]

In general clear, walks through, examples, pictures, not just text. SkimPappa brings up a great link.

So you want walk throughs with pictures. Walk throughs of what exactly? This is what I asked in my previous post. Of posting a topic? Is that not already clear enough? Do you want walk throughs of managing a certain part of the ACP? What part? We need DETAILS. :)

[url="http://www.invisionpower.com/files/ipb23gsg.pdf"]Stuff like this[/url] adding more stuff like this is what need to be an template of what should be done then just text all the time.

This was a general PDF we had with IPB 2.3.x, however the vast majority of our client base told us it wasn't that useful. It wasn't a living document, so it got out of date quickly and easily, only covered a static portion of the ACP, and generally just rehashed already obvious things ("To add a forum, click 'Add Forum'"). We are not likely to go down that road again, I'm afraid. At least in the immediate future.

There are other question I ask and such that have yet to be answer, about navigation, adding error codes to package so it with the IPB product and not just here on the site for quicker and better way to address issue, layout out information that is better for people to find then just in the main document location that was not even known about (It was in resource part). Other things can be expanded above as in my last two postings. So I no need to go into details while it all up their. *points up*

Navigation you said

Why not put a link to the documentation area in a tab at the top of the navigation, people wouldn't have to go the front page

You mean like this?



It's already on every single page of the forums...

As for error codes, that's not a database we need to distribute with IPB. 99.9% of users won't have much of a use for it as the error message already tells them what's wrong. We of course want it to be available for users that do have a use, which is why we have it online here and available, but it's useless data to distribute with the core product and would only serve to bloat the size in my opinion.

I don't know what you mean by layout information so it is better for people to find. A "Documentation" link (on every page of the website and forums) leading to the documentation seems about as clear as it can possibly get to me. :unsure:

The links on the documentation page I'm not against moving (though I'm not a designer and don't manage our website). I don't think "Community Forums" needs to be prominently displayed as there are already links to the forums. Skin Generator isn't something everyone has a need for, nor is the rest of the data to be honest. Most people go to the documentation to read the documentation. I'm up in the air there.

Then you said place a link to the documentation up top, which as I established, is already there.


All in all, it sounds to me like you're just not happy with the way documentation is laid out, but I don't really see any useful suggestions in your posts here that we can implement to improve the layout. Moving some links on the documentation page (which personally, I don't think the majority of those links need to be prominently displayed) I don't think is going to help anything at all.