Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject: Draft: NeoOffice Help Resources
So you've decided to give NeoOffice a try...great! I suppose you're here because you have a question. If you're new to OpenOffice.org/NeoOffice, you may find some of these general help resources useful in learning how to get started:
The Neowiki: This wiki is maintained by volunteers and contains lots of excellent tips and information. There is a page for each component of NeoOffice, which lists documentation resources, tips in the wiki, and related external articles:
Versions of the wiki exist in French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch. Not all versions are complete, and some parts may be out of date, as we rely on the availability of volunteers to maintain the various wiki versions.
The NeoOffice User Guide adapted for NeoOffice from the OpenOffice.org User Guide. The chapter on Troubleshooting was written specifically for NeoOffice users.
The NeoOffice User Guide Volume 2 An "advanced" guide especially for NeoOffice users. A small team of volunteers from this site used information from the Neowiki and other sources to write this informative guide.
OOo Forum.org A large, active forum for users of OpenOffice.org (upon which NeoOffice is based). This forum has been in existance for many years and contains lots of good information.
OOo Community Forums A "User community support forum for OpenOffice.org, StarOffice and NeoOffice." English, French, Hungarian, Japanese, and Spanish forums. Work is being done to add a Vietnamese forum. A newer forum that the OOO Forum: good information with responsive volunteers and moderators.
Overall, I think this is excellent. The only changes that I would propose are the following:
1. Change Neowiki to NeoWiki to be consistent with what is in the wiki pages.
2. Since a lot of new users do not know about OpenOffice.org (I suspect that very few downloaders actually read our front page), maybe change the following sentences:
Quote:
I suppose you're here because you have a question. If you're new to OpenOffice.org/NeoOffice, you may find some of these general help resources useful in learning how to get started:
to something like:
Quote:
If you have questions about how to use NeoOffice, you may find some of these general hep resources in learning how to get started. We have included some help resources for OpenOffice.org - the open source office suite software that NeoOffice is based on - as most features are work the same way in both NeoOffice and OpenOffice.org:
Thoughts?
If you are OK with my changes and you can easily incorporate any else's comments, I can demote the existing help sticky tomorrow after you post this sticky.
Edit: made OpenOffice.org a link to their website in my proposed changes.
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject:
Thanks, Patrick. I'll incorporate those changes when I put together the final version. For the moment I'll wait for some more input.
It is my intention to lock the new sticky, as in my experience unlocked stickies tend to accumulate posts which rather quickly interfere with the original intent of the sticky.
My assumption is that those of us who might need to modify it already have moderator privileges and could thus unlock it for editing/additional information if needed.
If there are objections to this plan, please share them here.
My assumption is that those of us who might need to modify it already have moderator privileges and could thus unlock it for editing/additional information if needed.
If there are objections to this plan, please share them here.
Sounds like a plan. Since I have to manually update the Trinity database to "unstickify" the current help sticky. I will wait until you post the new locked sticky and then I will unlock the old one and make it a regular topic.
If you have questions about how to use NeoOffice, you may find some of these general hep resources in learning how to get started. We have included some help resources for OpenOffice.org - the open source office suite software that NeoOffice is based on - as most features are work the same way in both NeoOffice and OpenOffice.org:
I think I'd insert "also" between "have" and "included" (since we do in fact offer them NeoOffice-specific resources as well) But that's just minor polish. Otherwise, sounds good.
On a related topic, have we added the OOo Community Forum to the support forum links on NeoOffice Support(?) page in the wiki? I believe we have OOoForum.org listed there, and as long as OOoCF isn't particularly nasty to anyone who says "Neo", we should probably list it, too.
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
I think Lorinda's draft of the NeoOffice Help Resources is a good effort.
A couple of thoughts....
One element which is missing is any reference to the extensive built-in Help in NeoOffice, which is probably the most overlooked resource in any software!
Which prompted me to search for it in the wiki:
Search results
From NeoWiki
You searched for Help menu
Jump to: navigation, search
There is no page titled "Help menu".
Could we consider adding one, explaining how to open and use NeoOffice's built-in Help as "your local source of first-level support", with NeoWiki and these fora et al providing second level support?
Secondly, I wonder if the left-hand menu of the forums might be re-ordered to give greater prominence to the NeoWiki? As it stands today, it is somewhat "lost" way down the page without explanation under "Other Websites". Might we collectively serve ourselves better by giving greater prominence to these other sources of help as listed in Lorinda's draft by creating a new "Help for New Users" links section near the top of the left column (a new box between "Donate today!" and "trinity", for example)? New users come to the forums for help. High on the page we would bring together the most directly pertinent to NeoOffice, including moving existing NeoWiki, User Guide and User Guide Volume 2 links in one box to get them on the new user's radar.
Thoughts? _________________ Ray Saunders
World Scout Bureau
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:51 am Post subject:
-The OOo Community Forums is already on the Documentation and Related Resources Page. I added it some time ago. I'm an "official" volunteer there, and early on I asked about the appropriateness of providing links to the NeoWiki to answer user's questions. One user objected, but the volunteers and moderators who responded were quite supportive. That same user made a few nasty posts in threads in which I mentioned NeoOffice, but he was ignored, and he soon stopped posting. One volunteer has since commented once--and once only--that he dislikes NeoOffice because the project "doesn't contribute code back to the OpenOffice.org project." Aside from those, everyone has been friendly and helpful. So I have no problem referring people there.
-I left out the built-in Help because I find it so hard to navigate, and frequently find it inadequate. But you're right, it should be included.
It may be a few days, but I'll produce another draft incorporating all these changes and post it here for "final approval."
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:01 am Post subject:
pluby wrote:
Since I have to manually update the Trinity database to "unstickify" the current help sticky. I will wait until you post the new locked sticky and then I will unlock the old one and make it a regular topic.
Patrick
Really? Can't you just open the topic, edit the first post, and under Post topic as:, select the "Normal" radio button instead of "Sticky"?
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:21 am Post subject:
I e-mailed Peter to ask his opinion of the description of the Guides. I'm pasting his suggested revision, so all the notes are in one place. Hopefully I can put together a 'final draft' today.
Quote:
The NeoOffice User Guide adapted for NeoOffice from the OpenOffice.org User Guide. The chapter on Troubleshooting (along with significant slabs of other chapters) was written specifically for NeoOffice users, and all screenshots are specifically for NeoOffice.
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:21 pm Post subject:
Here's the "Final" Draft. Any additional comments or improvements?
If you have questions about how to use NeoOffice, you may find some of these help resources useful in learning how to get started. We have also included some help resources for OpenOffice.org - the open source office suite software that NeoOffice is based on - as most features work the same way in both NeoOffice and OpenOffice.org:
Online help: If you look under the Help menu after you've launched NeoOffice, you should see an entry named "NeoOffice Help". Selecting this will open the extensive online help that ships with NeoOffice. While it's not the most up-to-date, you can find many quick tidbits in there on how to use the various applications.
This is also the help that will pop up if you click the little "lightbulb window" that appears from time to time. That lightbulb is the "QuickHelp" for actions that you've recently performed (or that the app has performed for you). It will try to jump you to a relevant portion of the online help.
The NeoWiki: This wiki is maintained by volunteers and contains lots of excellent tips and information. There is a page for each component of NeoOffice, which lists documentation resources, tips in the wiki, and related external articles:
Versions of the wiki exist in French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch. Not all versions are complete, and some parts may be out of date, as we rely on the availability of volunteers to maintain the various wiki versions.
The NeoOffice User Guide adapted for NeoOffice from the OpenOffice.org User Guide. The chapter on Troubleshooting (along with significant slabs of other chapters) was written specifically for NeoOffice users, and all screenshots are of NeoOffice.
The NeoOffice User Guide Volume 2 An "advanced" guide especially for NeoOffice users. A small team of volunteers from this site used information from the Neowiki and other sources to write this informative guide.
OOo Forum.org A large, active forum for users of OpenOffice.org (upon which NeoOffice is based). This forum has been in existance for many years and contains lots of good information.
OOo Community Forums A "User community support forum for OpenOffice.org, StarOffice and NeoOffice." English, French, Hungarian, Japanese, and Spanish forums. Work is being done to add a Vietnamese forum. A newer forum than the OOo Forum: good information with responsive volunteers and moderators.
Thanks for the additons, Lorinda. I am wondering whether use of the terminology "Online help" isn't rather misleading? Online normally refers to an Internet location, requiring the user to "go online", no?
Would it be clearer to refer users to the "Built-in NeoOffice Help" or "The NeoOffice Help Window" which can be opened by selecting the first item under the Help menu when in NeoOffice.
In researching answers to this, I also came across the correct terminology for the "lightbulb window" which, while descriptive, won't assist the user to modify their preferences to do away with the action, if so desired. It is referred to in the built-in help as the Help Agent and is controlled through a setting in NeoOffice>Preferences>General tab.
So...
Built-in help: If you look under the Help menu after you've launched NeoOffice, you should see the first entry named "NeoOffice Help". Selecting this will open The NeoOffice Help Window. This window gives you access to the extensive built-in help that ships with NeoOffice. While it's not the most up-to-date, it is searchable and you can find many quick tidbits in there on how to use the various applications.
This is also the help that will pop up if you click the little Help Agent that appears from time to time. The Help Agent offers "QuickHelp" for actions that you've recently performed (or that the app has performed for you). It will try to jump you to a relevant portion of the built-in help. _________________ Ray Saunders
World Scout Bureau
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
But that's just minor polish. Otherwise, sounds good.
