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Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:05 am
by kozikowski
Somewhere in that summary, add a tab that points to external software. All Steve's stuff, the links to SoundFlower, Lame, FFMpeg, etc. This should not be a "you just have to know" exercise.
Where is the tab for downloading and installing Audacity? That's actually an Easter Egg on the forum page.
I stand corrected. How about "Get Audacity?" "Latest Release" is Developer-Speak. And why is it an external link? That's where Additional Software should be.
How about "Important Links" or just "Links."
Koz
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:16 am
by Gale Andrews
kozikowski wrote:Somewhere in that summary, add a tab that points to external software. All Steve's stuff, the links to SoundFlower, Lame, FFMpeg, etc.
By tab do you mean a div? There are no tabs in the released manual and it would be hackage to add them.
For the last two in your list a front page link would be too prominently linking to patented goods. And users don't know the name of what they want until they look up the FAQ for MP3 or MP4 or streaming audio on Mac.
We could probably add Download Nyquist Plug-ins to the External Download Links box, if Steve wanted to.
kozikowski wrote:How about "Get Audacity?" "Latest Release" is Developer-Speak. And why is it an external link?
Because we don't host Audacity software downloads on manual.audacityteam.org. Any links going anywhere else than that are "external".
Gale
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:38 am
by waxcylinder
I was minded to agree with Koz that the Manual should have a link to "Download Audacity" so I made a small mod to the alpha 2.0.6 Manual's front page to have such a link. I placed it in the "Help Resources" section.
We should not assume that just because someone is reading the Manual that they have already downloaded Audacity - unlikely I know, but best to cover all the bases.
@Gale: if you really don't like it please revert - but I think it adds value, will be useful to users, and makes good use of the real-estate on the line it occupies.
Cheers,
Peter.
PS I never knew the Forum "Easter Egg" was there till Koz pointed it out 
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 11:52 am
by Gale Andrews
It is quite possible that a user who has the Manual does not have latest Audacity, but if they do have the latest Audacity a link that just says "Download Audacity" is potentially confusing.
So I'm afraid I object to Peter's change for that reason, because a software download is not a help resource, and because the bullets under the FAQ are now skewed left.
If you really want a link to download latest Audacity on the body of the front page I think you will have to work it into the green div above that gives the Audacity version number.
In any case how about making the big logo go to
http://audacityteam.org/ instead of booting the user to the logo image page in the development Manual? You can mention that you can download Audacity in the image hover text.
Generally I've been worried for a while about most images booting the user into the alpha Manual. All images should be set as "link=" to kill the links. So I would set a P2 for that, Peter.
waxcylinder wrote:I never knew the Forum "Easter Egg" was there till Koz pointed it out
Those external links will be italicised in the 2.0.6 Manual so may stand out a little better.
Gale
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:29 pm
by waxcylinder
Gale Andrews wrote:Generally I've been worried for a while about most images booting the user into the alpha Manual. All images should be set as "link=" to kill the links. So I would set a P2 for that, Peter.
Hmmm - see what you mean
1) The upside for users of doing what you suggest is clear - keeping them away from the alpha manual
2) The downside for us as editors means that it makes it harder for us to access the image files.
But 1 easily trumps 2, I guess - it's gonna be a fair bit of work though probably not completable by 2.0.6
Peter.
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:32 pm
by waxcylinder
Gale Andrews wrote:In any case how about making the big logo go to
http://audacityteam.org/ instead of booting the user to the logo image page in the development Manual? You can mention that you can download Audacity in the image hover text.
That's certainly an idea - but, even with hover text, it would surely still be a bit of an Easter-egg ...
Update: I've done that - see: http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Main_Page
Still an Easter-egg - but much better than booting them over to the alpha manual ...
Peter.
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:45 pm
by waxcylinder
Gale Andrews wrote:It is quite possible that a user who has the Manual does not have latest Audacity, but if they do have the latest Audacity a link that just says "Download Audacity" is potentially confusing.
So I'm afraid I object to Peter's change for that reason, because a software download is not a help resource, and because the bullets under the FAQ are now skewed left.
How much clearer can the English be - the link goes to a SF site page whose tab is labelled "Download" and it's surely clear that it's Audacity you are going to download.
We could increase the text to sat "Download and install Audacity" - but that is more verbiage (but I would be easy on that).
I don't see the bullets as" skewed left" - what I see is that line of text being centered in the light blue block with equal spacing at either end of it.
And as for it not being a "help resource" - what's not helpful about telling the user where to download (kosher) Audacity from, I just don't see your point there.
I really wouldn't want to clutter the top light green block with anything but "Audacity X.X.X" - I think that would look messy.
Thanks,
Peter.
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:19 pm
by waxcylinder
I've set a P2 on the Manual's front page for killing all image links - a nice background task ...
Peter
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:40 pm
by Gale Andrews
waxcylinder wrote:Gale Andrews wrote:Generally I've been worried for a while about most images booting the user into the alpha Manual. All images should be set as "link=" to kill the links. So I would set a P2 for that, Peter.
Hmmm - see what you mean
1) The upside for users of doing what you suggest is clear - keeping them away from the alpha manual
2) The downside for us as editors means that it makes it harder for us to access the image files.
But 1 easily trumps 2, I guess - it's gonna be a fair bit of work though probably not completable by 2.0.6
Thanks for making the link to the logo.
There is another downside. The syntax is:
Code: Select all
[[Image:Record.png|link=|Record button]]
but that syntax kills the hover text. I've not found a working solution for that.
The solution may be in the dump script. Perhaps we could keep the link but in the released Manual it goes to the image in that online folder or to the image in the installed help folder:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/m/imag ... oolbar.png
file:///C:/Audcomm/help/manual/m/images/5/56/docking_a_toolbar.png
The P1's are more important than fixing the links (if we do).
Gale
Re: Add a tab to the instruction book
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:52 pm
by waxcylinder
Gale Andrews wrote:There is another downside. The syntax is:
Code: Select all
[[Image:Record.png|link=|Record button]]
but that syntax kills the hover text. I've not found a working solution for that.
Yes... I just discovered that - see:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tuto ... cted_audio
Do you want me to revert those link- changes ?
Peter
