[Qgis-community-team] Why the QGIS docs team is struggling

[Cameron Shorter]

Hi qgis-developer folks,

With the support of the qgis docs team, I've done a deep dive into the 
state of QGIS docs. I'm keen to receive a wider review and suggestions 
on how to approach resourcing the roles I suggest are required.

Comments are welcomed, either in this thread, or in the doc. Please 
restrain from using track-changes (as it makes the doc difficult to read).

Full paper here: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11N5d1aBgkdQ80I7RKBlt_jx9Uk1RGsvOTeq_TSFeljA/ 
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/11N5d1aBgkdQ80I7RKBlt_jx9Uk1RGsvOTeq_TSFeljA/edit#>

**


    *Summary*

*

Many have tried to help QGIS docs, with limited success. I’ve collated 
insightful quotes from a bunch of their stories and then postulate 
solutions. Surprisingly, the biggest problem isn’t a lack of tech 
writers or our complicated tools (although they are factors).

Problems people have identified centre around:

  *

    Poorly capturing community good-will and offers of assistance;

  *

    A lack of direction;

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    Struggling to keep up with a rapidly evolving software baseline;

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    Documentation and training being generated outside of the core project.

  *

    Insufficient writing expertise;

This leads to a case for:

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    Engaging a community evangelist / coordinator;

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    Defining a vision and roadmap;

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    Implementing an information architecture review;

  *

    Engaging a trained technical writer; and

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    Attracting external docs back into the core.

While acknowledging the great work done to date, I feel the QGIS docs 
team has insufficient capacity, and availability of the skill sets 
required to drive this agenda. Targeted and sustained investment should 
be applied to bring the quality of QGIS docs up to the quality of the 
QGIS software.

*

-- 
Cameron Shorter
Technology Demystifier
Open Technologies and Geospatial Consultant

M +61 (0) 419 142 254

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