launchpad-dev team mailing list archive

[Lloyd Blythen <lblythen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Background
=========

Launchpad users needing help are directed (e.g. via 'Read the guide') to
help.launchpad.net. On that site, clicking their username opens the
UserPreferences <https://help.launchpad.net/UserPreferences> page. (That
page doesn't list user preferences, just some introductory tips on using
help.launchpad.net. Confusing for newcomers but no real problem ... I
guess.)

help.launchpad.net is a MoinMoin wiki. As well as the expected
Launchpad-specific help pages, all the generic MoinMoin help pages are also
available on the site. Mostly that's useful because they're relevant to
Launchpad - but some aren't.

Issue
====

help.launchpad.net/HelpOnUserPreferences is a generic MoinMoin page. (It's
basically https://moinmo.in/HelpOnUserPreferences.) Apologies (and please
tell me) if I'm wrong, but that page appears irrelevant to Launchpad users.
It lists options they can't access and gives instructions they can't
follow. There's a link to it at the top of the UserPreferences page (see
Background above).

For a help site this seems confusing - especially for newcomers, who're
likely to encounter it early.

Suggestions
=========

It's a wiki, as a team member I could just change stuff ;-)  That seems
heavy-handed so I'd rather get some feedback.

1) Should all generic MoinMoin help pages be available on help.launchpad.net?
In the case of this page I don't think so. Should we orphan or otherwise
remove it?

2) If the page is retained, should it somehow be headed/sandboxed so it's
clearly a MoinMoin page not necessarily relevant to Launchpad?

3) If the page is retained, I'd like at least to remove the link "see
HelpOnUserPreferences <https://help.launchpad.net/HelpOnUserPreferences>
for help" at the top of the UserPreferences page. Newcomers following that
link are sure to be confused. (Note: the UserPreferences page isn't a
MoinMoin one; it seems to be a Launchpad original.)

4) If the link described in 3) isn't removed, can we instead direct it to a
new page giving accurate help on Launchpad user preferences? I don't mind
creating such a page, and submitting it here for discussion before posting
it on help.launchpad.net. To me, this option would strengthen the case for
sandboxing the generic MoinMoin help pages.

I prefer 4) although it would require the most work. Happy to do it if the
idea's accepted.


Finally, I'm new to Launchpad and its Documentation Team. Sorry if this is
cluttering the dev list; it's where we're told to post documentation
queries, and the documentation list's been inactive for five years.
Guidance welcome.

Thanks :-)