Difference between revisions of "User:Mcefan"

Latest revision as of 04:59, 2 October 2012

This page contains my personal notes. I use it as a memory jogger.

Collection of things that need to be in the documentation

So far, from my reading around the forum, I gather that these need to be addressed:

• document claims and capability of the system, provide step by step instructions
• updates, separate current info from legacy (add version info as category)

• Draft Page Status: a stab at what the page status should look like

• completeness
• removal of obsolete articles
• editing for readability/simplicity
• new users centered additions (such as Networking structure & how-to, Basic system architecture - understandable descriptions of the software, Simple step-by-step tutorials for the most basic functionalities, Present a user-friendly image)
• technical level centered organization (basic, intermediate, advanced, expert & developer)

three (SIMPLE) "flag" fields. One for the relevant version (710, 810 etc), one for the page status (eg reviewed, approved as per your suggestion nzlneil) and one for page type (instructional, overview, hack) [1]
Draft Page Status

• categorization, indexing/organization

• try to generalise what we already have out there. In no particular order...

- Hardware pages eg motherboards, z-wave device

- User pages

- Overview pages eg this is an MD, this is a core, the network must be set up like this because...

- Instructional pages eg the procedure for adding a light, NOT hacks

- hacks

- source on the Task | Identify structure of wiki | reqruiting / assessing thread

• proposed list

• clearly label hacks as hacks so people do not mess their systems unknowingly [2]
  Hacks will need to get a disclaimer.
• a table of hardware compatibility connecting to corresponding linked articles
• consistent favorites navigation (News, About, Documentation, Forum, Download, Contact Us)
• uniformity, standardization of articles

provide detailed instructions on how to create the perfect wiki article with a link to the template everyone should use.
- In the "Administering Content" subheading, we would have a table showing who is responsible for administering each major wiki chapter. Their first job would be move existing relevant articles into their chapter of the wiki. Administrators would periodically look at their wiki chapters for new content to make sure people are following the rules. If they found a problem they could fix it on the spot, get the author to fix it, or remove the article. If a particular chapter seems incomplete, an energetic administrator could go to the forums and request articles.

• front page redesign

We have to redo the manual / frontpage wiki, the important part about this that it needs to be maintained.

Task | Frontpage wiki | assessing

DragonK[3]

Somewhere on the front page of the wiki, we should have a link called "Wiki Tutorial - Adding and Administering Content"

• redo the youtube video [4]
• provide project news that affects users
• provide entry to the Forums and the Wiki
• appoint a dedicated documenter and one programmer to whom the documenter can ask questions

• create and document method of communication between authors and users that have questions regarding an article
• encourage notes taking on user page?

To create a user page, register on the wiki (now requires an active forum account, I understand, & which you have). Then search for your user name, and when it says there's no page for that, chose the option to create one.[5]

Proposed Color Scheme

• Text: #000000
• Highlight: #123456

Ongoing

Forum thread, latest post [6]

• clean templates - users created templates instead of pages
• come up with a system to enable the use of templates for insertion of tags: test section templates inserted in table cells in the proper location - with easy navigation to inserts.
• search box needs to be configure to parse all relevant namespaces

• 1. Where do I start?
• Contributing to LMCE
• Help:Editing advanced
• Help:Article categories. Delete: Article categories which is in wrong namespace.
• Help:Namespace
• Add a page to the wiki
• Help:Hyperlinks
• Help:Classification worksheet

To complete:

• Contacts
• read pages with :user
• catalog working equipment from user pages
• So, how does it work?
• What do I need to run LinuxMCE?
• What to buy?

My objectives

• organize and make information manageable
• increase accessibility and findability
• help users find information and complete their tasks (fulfill their information needs)
• build information structures that allow others to understand
• make the information useful
• improve user experience, usability, and user interface
• provide an effective presentation and use of information
• help people share information

Abstract the essentials from this complex body of information, and make those essentials easily accessible to a user in a clear and esthetically pleasing presentation that creates meaning or understanding.

Miscellaneous notes

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Software_components

from twodogs on forum dicussion:
"Wiki articles should be written with beginning users in mind. Readers should be provided an overview of what they are doing before being given a laundry list of steps to perform. If the overview already has already been covered elsewhere, a link to that source would be helpful. If no overview exists, then an introductory paragraph might eliminate repeated cries for assistance in the forums."

• Wikiworkgroup
• discussion on categorization/classification: Task | Draft Page Status Task | Draft Page Status
• front page needs intro as suggested in Draft_Main_Page

Invited to join the effort:

• members search

• perspectoff
• sourcery
• seer
• Morpheus
• Zaerc

Found ongoing effort on forum: [7]

Found Wikiworkgroup: can't make sense of the purpose of the page, nor the title. If you create any page, its purpose should be stated and its contents summarized at the top of the page to avoid user confusion.

Read brononius' personal documentation of linuxmce (link currently broken)
Forum link syntax: [url=http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Main_Page]Wiki Login Page[/url]

Items I'm personally looking into for my house

SMD 5060 5m, DMX and DALI [] as suggested by posde here

• Anything with regards to electrical wiring is just a matter of having well grounded, correctly polarized electrical service delivery [8]
• Wifi coverage
• vendors suggested by JaseP: ASI Home
• Z-wave frequencies vary by the market location (US, EU & NZ). US 33cm/900mhz within the UHF band[9].
• Lutron does not make any Zwave compatable products. Lutron has their own patented RF systems. Lutron does however make a bridge into the Zigbee world. This is available through speacialty integrators. [10]
• Z-Wave Mesh Networks VS. Lutron Radio RA [11] [12]
  QS Wireless shading system
• Leviton Vizia RF+ Line
• Two things. Just remember that, with variac dimmer circuits, it means no non-dimmable CFLs and no ceiling fans on dimmers. If you want to control those, you need appliance module type modules. In-wall on/off switches (as opposed to dimmers) are more expensive. A motor on a variac can actually burn it out (the Mrs. did that to one of my dimmers). Also, don't skimp on Z-wave thermostats. You get what you pay for with those.
• KNX terminology as explained by posde: There are two things: The sensors and the actors.
  Most (if not all) sensors run of the KNX voltage directly.
  However most actors (the things that actually do stuff like turning light on) are voltage relevant, i.e. you can't get 110V stuff in Europe.
• whole house MD audio sync solution terminology
• house setup