[Zope] Giving up...Documentation proposal

[Jim Harrison]

I've read Brad Hull's comments and the discussion that followed with some 
interest, as I'm in a similar situation. I have both Zope 1.x and Zope 2 
running on an NT machine and I'm currently doing some prototyping using 
Zope as a collaboration support system (essentially committee managment) 
and a system to deliver educational material. It has potential to go far 
beyond that in our environment--which includes 18 hospitals that are 
geographically dispersed (with one in Italy). We seriously need a 
multi-author information managment system that we can customize 
completely, and I see Zope as a framework that can provide this. 
Unfortunately, the current problems with documentation limit our work to 
limited "high maintenance" experimentation.

What's really needed to solve this problem is a framework for creating 
the documentation quickly, and something to kick-start the effort. I'd 
suggest that DC, as a part of its scheduling of fall training sessions, 
create one or more training sessions on Zope 2 specifically for 
documentation writers. Ideally, these "Documentation Seminars" would be a 
partnership with the user community in which the training would be given 
at no cost other than transportation and lodging (which the trainees 
would pay for). Those interested in contributing to the documentation 
effort could apply to DC to attend the seminar and DC would choose the 
final participant list based on qualifications, available time, etc. In 
addition to a download of information about Zope 2 to writers, the 
seminar(s) would also include an organization session in which the 
documentation work was divided into specific assignments and timelines 
were set.

It's in all our best interests that we get some quality documentation out 
as soon as possible. A concerted effort like this would be one way to 
harness the user community to do just that.

Jim Harrison

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James H. Harrison, Jr., MD, PhD
Associate Director, Division of Pathology Informatics
Department of Pathology, Univ. of Pittsburgh Health System                
     
C920 PUH, 200 Lothrop Street                                  
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

jhrsn@pop.pitt.edu | voice: 412-647-5529 | fax: 412-647-9588

"If you want sense, you'll have to make it yourself!!"-Norton Juster
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