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#25 2021-03-26 08:54:10

etc
Developer
Registered: 2010-11-11
Posts: 5,132
Website GitHub

Re: txp mentions

Destry wrote #329462:

As for all the little how do I do this questions and stuff, like the last row in the table implies, the forum always ends up answering these kinds of questions over and over and over and over, which is not only a waste of time and effort, but it does nothing for centralizing and curating the best response(s) to a place where they are easier found and pointed to.

Many valid points, but I can not fully agree that answering questions over and over again is always a waste of time. Textpattern evolves, and questions get new and better answers. If everyone just exhumed ten years old answers from the forum or the docs, a large part of txp progress would be vain.

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#26 2021-03-26 09:01:50

John-Paul F
Member
Registered: 2021-03-15
Posts: 39
Website Twitter

Re: txp mentions

Destry thank you. You’re right that it’s there, and very prominent, and you’re right that it doesn’t somehow give me enough.

etc, I agree – most of the answers I’ve found by looking around seem to be over a decade old, and I have no confidence that they will even work, so I don’t use them.

I’ve got a lot to learn, so I’ll keep trying, and I’ll filter searches by date…

Does anybody know if there’s some kind of (decent) course in “How To Use Textpattern” anywhere?

Last edited by John-Paul F (2021-03-26 09:02:54)


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#27 2021-03-26 11:15:08

gaekwad
Server grease monkey
From: People's Republic of Cornwall
Registered: 2005-11-19
Posts: 4,215
GitHub

Re: txp mentions

John-Paul F wrote #329466:

Does anybody know if there’s some kind of (decent) course in “How To Use Textpattern” anywhere?

None that I know of in course format, no. The broad strokes appraisal is that we’re a relatively small community of enthusiasts, which brings an element of knowing how to find solutions from all the places we maintain, but the going can be slow for new things since many of the people involved are juggling work, life, home, and so forth.

I’ve been guilty of initiatives in the past that haven’t got traction because I haven’t committed, found, or made the time and brain cycles to get them off the ground properly. Invariably any project needs a cheerleader and sufficient person-power behind it to get traction, and in my case I get caught out by real life getting in the way.

That said, I am curious what your (J-P) demographic wants from a course, since everyone is different, and one person’s method of using Textpattern may be wildly different to another person’s approach.

At whatever granularity level you’re comfortable with, what’s on your shopping list? You’ve mentioned a gallery theme, what else would be useful? No right or wrong answers. You’re a useful person since you don’t spend much time here, so a fresh perspective is handy.

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#28 2021-03-26 11:21:38

John-Paul F
Member
Registered: 2021-03-15
Posts: 39
Website Twitter

Re: txp mentions

Thanks Pete. I totally get that about cheerleading and energy, and about the small team juggling a lot.

  1. I posted this in the forum describing what my demographic might like from Txp
  2. And a suggestion re upvoting posts in this forum

Last edited by John-Paul F (2021-03-26 11:54:09)


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#29 2021-03-27 09:47:24

Destry
Member
From: Haut-Rhin
Registered: 2004-08-04
Posts: 4,909
Website

Re: txp mentions

etc wrote #329465:

I can not fully agree that answering questions over and over again is always a waste of time.

If you like to do it, it’s certainly not. And when the help isn’t anywhere else, it’s certainly needed. And addressing the immediate one-off needs of enquirers will always be necessary. I am often one of those in need, but neither do tag docs always deliver where they could and should.

Textpattern evolves, and questions get new and better answers.

No doubt. But what I mean is, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a single URL for a given topic, and the page is curated, in one place, against the evolution of the software, and taking into account the nuances and different ways the topic can be relevant or applied to a help situation. Rhetorical.

Not unlike a wiki is meant for, in fact, or a documentation site under version control.

If everyone just exhumed ten years old answers from the forum or the docs, a large part of txp progress would be vain.

I’m not sure I understand you there, but no elaboration necessary.

I’m not saying the forum will never be needed, or that no help should ever be given here. Preposterous! I’m simply saying not every egg belongs in this basket.

Plus it’s worth thinking ahead. What happens when those knowledgable few, who write elaborate forum responses, leave the community? (Eventually everyone does.) How do you capture that knowledge effectively? In the shifting forum sands?

It’s funny we still have the same docs/support conversations after 18 years. Must be the nature of it.

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#30 2021-03-27 11:56:26

etc
Developer
Registered: 2010-11-11
Posts: 5,132
Website GitHub

Re: txp mentions

Destry wrote #329498:

No doubt. But what I mean is, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a single URL for a given topic, and the page is curated, in one place, against the evolution of the software, and taking into account the nuances and different ways the topic can be relevant or applied to a help situation. Rhetorical.

No doubt, but the forum (including recurrent questions) plays an important role here, imo.

Take this example: forum.textpattern.com/viewtopic.php?id=38541. The question is answered, catalogued and assigned an URL. Fine. Someone having the same question finds the link and does not bother the forum with this question again. Fine? Nope, because meanwhile breakby attribute has evolved and the problem can be solved very easily.

One can ask why nobody has updated the topic? Because we have forgotten about it. I actually did, but forgot about it too.

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#31 2022-04-04 14:12:17

gu
Member
Registered: 2020-08-27
Posts: 59

Re: txp mentions

Micro-mention spotted here, relevant excerpt:

I am so thankful for the Textpattern programmers and forum members who helped me make just the free software site for my students I wanted.

Good opportunity to say: thank you to all of the txp developers, maintainers, contributors, and community!


<!— space for hope —>

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#32 2022-04-05 04:42:58

colak
Admin
From: Cyprus
Registered: 2004-11-20
Posts: 9,064
Website GitHub Mastodon Twitter

Re: txp mentions

gu wrote #333046:

Good opportunity to say: thank you to all of the txp developers, maintainers, contributors, and community!

There is another more substantial mention here.


Yiannis
——————————
NeMe | hblack.art | EMAP | A Sea change | Toolkit of Care
I do my best editing after I click on the submit button.

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#33 2022-04-08 19:30:42

Bloke
Developer
From: Leeds, UK
Registered: 2006-01-29
Posts: 11,413
Website GitHub

Re: txp mentions

Wow. Some high praise indeed. Thanks for sharing.

Humbling to know that the features we’ve put in and the amazing community here offer support for allowing people the creative freedom to create sites in such diverse ways.


The smd plugin menagerie — for when you need one more gribble of power from Textpattern. Bleeding-edge code available on GitHub.

Txp Builders – finely-crafted code, design and Txp

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