[03:12] <hound> sup ubuntuers
[03:15] <hound> does x-chat count as a "Chat Account" for Status Menu purposes in the panel? It always brings up Empathy
[08:25] <sebsebseb> Hi
[12:52] <nhandler> 67
[15:02] <jcastro> ok welcome everyone
[15:02] <jcastro> today we have a new presenter
[15:02] <jcastro> Marco Ceppi
[15:02] <jcastro> who is going to talk about the newish Ubuntu Stack Exchange, askubuntu.com
[15:02] <jcastro> marcoceppi: take it away!
[15:02] <ClassBot> Logs for this session will be available at http://irclogs.ubuntu.com/2011/05/05/%23ubuntu-classroom.html following the conclusion of the session.
[15:02] <marcoceppi> Hello Everyone, Salutations!
[15:03] <marcoceppi> I'm Marco Ceppi, a moderator for Ask Ubuntu http://askubuntu.com/ and I'm here to talk briefly about what Ask Ubuntu is, some potential use cases, and mainly field your questions.
[15:03] <marcoceppi> Ask Ubuntu http://askubuntu.com/about is a Question and Answer site maintained (infrastructure and code base wise by StackExchange, LLC the same people behind StackOverflow, ServerFault, Super User and several other Q&A sites). Designed to field questions which range from basic user problems all the way to questions around development on/for Ubuntu.
[15:04] <marcoceppi> What sets Ask Ubuntu (AU) apart from other Q&A sites is that AU is community operated – instilling powers to those who contribute more, using a metric of User Reputation. Reputation, in short, is provided to users who ask good questions, provide great answers, or help to maintain quality by flagging in appropriate posts and editing less than stellar content. So the more you participate the more
[15:04] <marcoceppi> privileges the site will grant you. From simple things like posting comments upwards of voting to close questions, editing users contents, and the list continues.
[15:05] <marcoceppi> AU works like a Wiki, a Forum, a Blog, and Reddit combined. So voting helps sort poor quality from high quality, users can edit other users content to help improve quality and correct mistakes, and comments allow users to hold small discussions without crowding the entire thread with relatively useless troubleshooting.
[15:05] <marcoceppi> In addition to the main AU site AU has a “meta” site where users can ask and raise issues about the main site itself. Again contributing to the self-regulatory lifestyle of the site.
[15:06] <marcoceppi> Finally AU has it's own web based chat system where community members can take discussions and further troubleshooting into a realtime chat allowing just the final answer to be reposted on the main site - cutting down the noise ratio (and allowing for a general hangout place).
[15:08] <marcoceppi> To really get an idea about the community and power behind the AU platform I would recommend you checkout http://askubuntu.com/faq, take a look at our "How does Ask Ubuntu work?" Guide http://meta.askubuntu.com/questions/257/how-does-ask-ubuntu-work, and signup http://askubuntu.com/users/login to try it out yourself !
[15:09] <marcoceppi> We're pretty big on quality, trying to ensure questions don't become out of date by constantly editing and improving the content
[15:10] <marcoceppi> We're also pretty harsh on off-topic questions, so questions that are subjective or argumentative typically get closed pretty quickly because they're just that - opinionated driven questions which likely can't be objectively answered.
[15:12] <marcoceppi> So things like "Why does Unity stink?" aren't questions we're interested in fielding, whereas something like How do I go back to the old desktop in 11.04? is an objective and answerable question.
[15:13] <marcoceppi> Other questions that don't jive well are questions not relating to Ubuntu, questions which should be bug reports, or posting a "Guide" as a question.
[15:15] <marcoceppi> If you have a great answer to a question, for instance you spent the last 8 hours scouring the internet for a solution and finally pieced together a solution from old posts and research - then asking your original question - then answering it using the Answer mechanism is a valid way to publish your content without having it just a "Guide to do X"
[15:15] <marcoceppi> Here are a few of the more popular and great questions from the AU site
[15:16] <marcoceppi> http://askubuntu.com/questions/30334/list-of-application-indicators
[15:16] <marcoceppi> http://askubuntu.com/questions/28086/unity-keyboard-mouse-shortcuts
[15:16] <marcoceppi> http://askubuntu.com/questions/4983/what-are-ppas-and-how-do-i-use-them
[15:17] <marcoceppi> http://askubuntu.com/questions/37/
[15:18] <marcoceppi> For people looking to contribute answers to questions on the site, the markdown for the site is easy to use and popular items like posting screenshots are even easier since AU integrates with imgur - allowing persistent hosting of images in posts - ensuring they will always be there without worrying about bandwidth limits or if an image host disappears.
[15:19] <marcoceppi> As always the interface, and site, is all geared towards high quality content - in an attempt to provide the best solutions for questions regarding Ubuntu
[15:21] <jcastro> (we can take questions before he moves on)
[15:22] <jcastro> QUESTION:Why use AU instead of lets say, ubuntu forums.
[15:22] <jcastro> our first question!
[15:23] <marcoceppi> Since everything has an up and downvote button making content not just right - but great - is what helps users to gain reputation on the site. Providing thorough instructions in your solution, linking to resources which could assist the user past the answer,  if it's a software solution using apt.ubuntu.com for linking, adding images where appropriate, etc help to create a holistic solution for us
[15:23] <marcoceppi> ers who may also have that problem
[15:23] <marcoceppi> AU and the Ubuntu Forums are both great
[15:24] <marcoceppi> I'm only going to touch on slight differences between AU and the Ubuntu Forums (UF) in regards to Question and Answers because outside of that AU really doesn't offer quite as much as the UF do
[15:25] <marcoceppi> In AU answers aren't linear, they're not sorted by time - but instead by votes of the content. So a great answer may be posted 2 days (and 8 literal posts later) but will likely filter to the first in the list if it's upvoted as such.
[15:26] <jcastro> QUESTION: Would it be useful to have indicators to show if people are able to 'float around' 'available to help' etc or is that already there
[15:26] <marcoceppi> However, we strongly discourage opinionated questions, discussion pieces, and most recommendations - as the site really doesn't work well for questions of that time. In that respect I think that the forums serve an excellent platform as it's a threaded linear view. It allows for discussions and replies and continued conversations around that subject and potentially others related to it
[15:28] <marcoceppi> There's no way to tell who is online or not - but users are regularly on the site, simply asking the question will ensure someone will get to it since there are no "forum sections"
[15:28] <marcoceppi> Instead we organize posts using a tagging system - allowing users to filter in or out topics of their interest
[15:29] <marcoceppi> next!
[15:29] <jcastro> QUESTION: Sometimes I ask a question but the site is so busy it scrolls off, now what do I do? Did I lose my chance to get my question answered?
[15:30] <marcoceppi> Not at all - the question still exists there and if you ask your question on a particularly busy day and it slides off the home page it still exists in the system. If you don't receive and answer in a timely fashion that may mean you need to add details to your question (doing so will 'bump' it back to the homepage)
[15:31] <marcoceppi> So it may not mean that there isn't an answer, but instead the question could be unclear - needs more details - or requires a clean up in general
[15:32] <marcoceppi> "Old" unanswered questions also get added to a special section of the site under the "Unanswered" tab where users regularly can see questions untouched by any answer (or low quality answers) where they might edit the question to make it more clear or attempt to answer the question if they can manage to do so
[15:33] <marcoceppi> No content on the site should really be considered "static" there is usually always room for improvement. Improving questions and answers help ensure that the content stays relevant
[15:33] <marcoceppi> and continues being a solution for the foreseeable future
[15:34] <marcoceppi> In addition to user rep which you get by having good content the site also rewards users with badges - one of which is called "Necromancy" or answering an o"
[15:34] <marcoceppi> ... an "old question" and having that answer upvoted or accepted
[15:35] <marcoceppi> There is a whole host of Badges, and Badges range from easier-to-get Bronze badges, to bit-harder-to-get Silver, all the way to the Really-hard-to-achieve Gold
[15:35] <marcoceppi> Next!
[15:35] <jcastro> QUESTION: Lets say, I have a problem,which is very rare,but a critical one, and other questions tend to be simpler to understand,hence get more upvotes, in the end my question is ignored.Doesnt it seem counter-intuitive.I mean stuff which can be googled get more upvotes than actual good questions.
[15:37] <marcoceppi> I wouldn't say so - upvoting questions should be that the question is either of a good quality, or if you have a similar issue. Critical issues can sometimes be harder to diagnose in the system due to how the commenting system works - but we've had users regularly ask a critical or complex issue on the site and jump into the site chat to further troubleshoot and narrow the scope of the question. E
[15:37] <marcoceppi> ither leading to a better formatted question
[15:37] <marcoceppi> or, in best case examples, an answer
[15:37] <marcoceppi> Having a "complex" or critical question shouldn't be viewed as never getting an answer, but rather a little more of a challenge to the question asker to provide as much details as possible to ensure a quick resolution
[15:38] <marcoceppi> Next?
[15:38] <jcastro> none yet
[15:38] <jcastro> talk about how he can get attention to that complex question!
[15:38] <marcoceppi> Awesome, in that case I'll keep talkin!
[15:39] <marcoceppi> The site also offers other incentives for question askers and on lookers.
[15:39] <marcoceppi> One example is to socially broadcast the message via Facebook or Twitter
[15:39] <marcoceppi> Another example is to apply a bounty to the question
[15:40] <marcoceppi> A bounty is a user (not necessarily the question asker) placing anywhere from 50-500 reputation points as a reward to whomever can answer the question and provide a solution
[15:40] <marcoceppi> By doing so you can essentially "pay" a user for their hardwork in solving your question (complex, or otherwise)
[15:41] <marcoceppi> However, you can't put a bounty for more rep than you actually have. So I'll dive into different ways to get rep
[15:42] <marcoceppi> I've touched on asking great questions and providing stellar answers to those questions - that gets you upvotes, upvotes give you rep (typically 5-10 per vote depending on the situation)
[15:43] <marcoceppi> However, rep is also rewarded to users who provide good questions. So if you're a new user, and you see a problem that could use fixing via editing, you can submit that edit to be reviewed by a higher reputationed user - and if accepted will score you 2 rep points per edit. So if you don't have an immediate question to ask and can't seem to provide a solution for some of the questions submitting e
[15:43] <marcoceppi> dits to make that content even better
[15:44] <marcoceppi> Will help to increase your reputation - gaining you more access to site functions!
[15:44] <marcoceppi> Question askers can also "Accept" an answer
[15:45] <marcoceppi> Doing so makes that as the solution which fixed the issue in the question, and tends to keep that answer to the top - regardless of votes. It also scores the answerer 15 additional rep points for providing a solution to the question asker
[15:46] <marcoceppi> Rep is essentially awarded to users who constantly use the site, and participate whether it's providing content, or fixing content
[15:46] <marcoceppi> Next?
[15:46] <jcastro> QUESTION: when using AU iI've always gone to http://askubuntu.com/questions but going to home page all questions are truncated.  I assume this 'NoScript' kic=king in as there is a list of 4 scripts from outside sources being stopped.. why such a list of baddies such as "quantserve & adzerk"?
[15:47] <marcoceppi> Ah, that's probably the "Ads" on the site. Quantserve is the service StackExchange uses for it's in house ad network to promote ads relative to the community and StackExchange community
[15:48] <marcoceppi> So they're "Ads" in that they either advertise ads we've created here: http://meta.askubuntu.com/questions/1089/community-promotion-ads-1h-2011 which are all submitted by community members, or they show ads for other sites in StackExchange network: http://stackexchange.com/sites
[15:49] <marcoceppi> These ads are designed for users, not for advertisers to make money. You're probably seeing this as a result of Adblock or some other form of ad manipulation
[15:50] <jcastro> QUESTION: one of the issues I have had is posting images/screenshots to help people but because I am new on the site..I cannot..Is that going to be permanent
[15:52] <ClassBot> There are 10 minutes remaining in the current session.
[15:52] <marcoceppi> Posting images is limited to users who have a certain reputation level (to avoid blatant trolling and spam) If you post the image URL a higher repudiation user can edit it to be displayed or when you gain enough reputation (http://askubuntu.com/privileges)
[15:52] <marcoceppi> So, to answer your question - yes it's temporary
[15:53] <marcoceppi> After 10 reputation points you'll be able to post images, and majority of the other post actions http://askubuntu.com/privileges/new-user
[15:54] <marcoceppi> Next?
[15:54] <jcastro> more questions?
[15:55] <marcoceppi> While it may seem rather harsh - it's not very difficult to achieve 10 reputation points. However, the damage of having an offensive or lude picture posted 50 times by a bot would have it's concequences in the quality of the site.
[15:56] <jcastro> ANy other tips marcoceppi?
[15:56] <jcastro> (we also have time for one more question!)
[15:57] <marcoceppi> I'll start typing, feel free to pop one more question in!
[15:57] <ClassBot> There are 5 minutes remaining in the current session.
[15:58] <jcastro> One thing I do is self document
[15:58] <jcastro> if I'm in the middle of a task
[15:58] <jcastro> and I can't find the answer I want on google
[15:58] <jcastro> I post it as a question and answer it
[15:58] <jcastro> in the past I would blog it
[15:58] <marcoceppi> The site is designed to be a quality source of questions and their relevant answers. As I tell most people, when you're asking a question - take your time, write it out, add all the information you could fathom that is relevant. If a user requests additional information from you via comments edit it back into your original question rather then responding via another comment. Cutting down communica
[15:58] <marcoceppi> tion and getting all the content organized in a orderly fashion will help keep the site relevant
[15:59] <jcastro> but at least this way the peer review can keep the answer up to date
[16:00] <jcastro> ok outta time!
[16:00] <jcastro> duanedesign: ready?
[16:00] <jcastro> marcoceppi: thanks for the lesson, cheers!
[16:00] <marcoceppi> I fear I'm out of time - Thank you all for your questions I'll leave you with a few links: http://askubuntu.com/ http://meta.askubuntu.com/ and http://chat.askubuntu.com/ and another example question http://askubuntu.com/questions/20543/how-do-i-get-a-boxee-remote-working
[16:01] <marcoceppi> Thanks!
[16:02] <ClassBot> Logs for this session will be available at http://irclogs.ubuntu.com/2011/05/05/%23ubuntu-classroom.html following the conclusion of the session.
[16:03] <duanedesign> hello everyone
[16:03] <duanedesign> I am going to be giving a session on doing screencasts, and doing them well.
[16:04] <duanedesign> A screencast is a digital video in which the setting is partly or wholly a computer screen, and in which audio narration describes the on-screen action.
[16:05] <duanedesign> A bit of trivia for you. In 2004, columnist Jon Udell invited readers of his blog to propose names for the emerging genre. Udell selected the term screencast, which was proposed by both Joseph McDonald and Deeje Cooley.
[16:05] <duanedesign> There are many different ways to make screencasts and different applications you can use. I will show you one way and will use as many default applications as possible.
[16:05] <duanedesign> The applications you will need for making a screencast are:
[16:06] <duanedesign> gtk-recordmydesktop - records desktop video/audio.
[16:07] <duanedesign> their are three packages in the repository. packages: recordmydesktop gtk-recordmydesktop qt-recordmydesktoop
[16:08] <duanedesign> recordmydesktop being the commandline utility. gtk-recordmydesktop, for gnome, and qt-recordmydesktop, for KDE, are GUIs for that commandline utility
[16:09] <duanedesign> piTiVi = for editing video, combining audio and video and re-encoding to other formats.
[16:09] <duanedesign> audacity - recording and editing audio
[16:09] <duanedesign> openoffice.org - for titles at the beginning and end of your screencast
[16:09] <duanedesign> VirtualBox - virtualization enviroment. package: virtualbox-ose
[16:10] <duanedesign> This last one is optional. But their are advantages to use a VM which I will touch on later
[16:10] <duanedesign> or know :)
[16:11] <duanedesign> In a VM you can record your screencast from a default install. This way your custom themes, icons and setup will not confuse a user.
[16:11] <duanedesign> A VM allows you to save snapshots. This make it easy to go back to your VM setup before the demo. Ideal for rehearsing your screencast as well as making it easy to keep a standard default install.
[16:12] <duanedesign> that is nice if your screencast involves installing packages.
[16:13] <duanedesign> if you end up doing multiple takes you will quickly get tired of uninstalling all the packes to start over
[16:13] <duanedesign> If the intention is to demonstrate application usage and/or the host configuration is sufficiently similar to a standard install a VM is not necessary.
[16:14] <duanedesign> Or you can use a Guest Session. Guest Sessions do not have snapshots but do have the other advantges
[16:14] <duanedesign> The first step, after installing the appropriate software, is to make an outline.
[16:14] <duanedesign> Decide exactly what it is you are wanting to show. Keep the videocasts short and focused. Cover only one topic in each videocast.
[16:15] <duanedesign> No 3 hour epics :)
[16:15] <duanedesign> After you have an outline, you will make a script. The script will cover what you want to say and do during the screencast.
[16:16] <duanedesign> I recommend using storyboards for writing your script
[16:16] <duanedesign> This helps you visualize the script and visuals together.
[16:17] <duanedesign> I have a couple on my people .ubuntu.com page
[16:17] <duanedesign> http://people.ubuntu.com/~duanedesign/screencasting/
[16:18] <duanedesign> not the .ogv but the other two files ;)
[16:19] <duanedesign> one is for 16:9 screen the other is 4:3.
[16:19] <duanedesign> I have found the Gnome, and other style guides, help me write a script that is clear. concise and consistent. Though a lot of it is geared towards written documentation there is a lot of relevant stuff when it comes to grammar usage and terminology.
[16:20] <duanedesign> Some examples of grammar usage tips would be, do not superfluous adverbs like simply, easily, quickly. Do not apply emotion, desires, or opinions. Avoid stuff like 'This app is awesome', instead maybe 'This app has helped me ...'
[16:20] <duanedesign> Also the Style Guides help with some of the GUI terminology. Here is an example from the Gnome Style Guide showing you what different part of the windows are called.
[16:20] <duanedesign> http://library.gnome.org/devel/gdp-style-guide/stable/preface-1.html.en
[16:20] <duanedesign>  This helps create consistency across a wide range of resources.
[16:21] <duanedesign> ensuring that we are all calling a radio button, a radio button and not confusing people
[16:21] <duanedesign> Once you get your script done, You will want to rehearse the steps you are going to take. This is a good opportunity to develop and refine your script.
[16:22] <duanedesign> To do this start a virtual machine running the operating system and application which is to be demonstrated. Go through the software and practice the steps to be demonstrated. You might need to do this a couple of times until you are comfortable with the steps and you know the script very well.
[16:23] <duanedesign> Speak clearly, slowly, and enunciate. The primary reason for negative feedback when it comes to screencasts is that the presenter is talking too fast or using a lot of 'umm'.
[16:23] <duanedesign> Once you are familiar with the steps you will be taking, it is time to record the screencast.
[16:24] <duanedesign> If the demo requires the installation of additional packages then to save time it can be preferable to setup the necessary repositories, download the necessary packages without installing them, then remove the repositories.
[16:24] <duanedesign> This of course assumes that you want to show how to enable repositories and install software
[16:24] <duanedesign> To download packages and not install them use apt-get with the -d option: apt-get -d packagename1 packagename2 ...
[16:25] <duanedesign> Now the steps of recording the screencast.
[16:25] <duanedesign> Start a virtual machine running the operating system and application which is to be demonstrated.
[16:25] <duanedesign> Start a recording application to capture the contents of the virtual machine window.
[16:25] <duanedesign> Start a recording application to capture the contents of the virtual machine window.
[16:26] <duanedesign> you only have to do that once :)
[16:26] <duanedesign> With recordmydesktop you can control it from the GUI or the commandline.
[16:26] <duanedesign> I will mostly cover the GUI way of doing things
[16:26] <duanedesign> If you are interested in using the commandline I suggest the command 'man recordmydesktop'. Additionally you can find an example command, and one i often use, at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ScreenCasts/RecordMyDesktop#Command%20Line
[16:26] <duanedesign> With the GUI to record either left-click the icon in the panel or click the record button in the main window
[16:26] <duanedesign> main window - http://recordmydesktop.sourceforge.net/rug/p1_1a.php
[16:27] <duanedesign> If you do not want to capture the entire desktop there are three ways of selecting the area on which you will confine the recording.
[16:27] <duanedesign> Using the preview thumbnail on the main window you can draw a window with the crosshairs.
[16:27] <duanedesign> Using the Select Window  button and then select a window on your desktop.
[16:28] <duanedesign>  Using the Select Area on Screen function accessed by right-clicking on the panel icon.
[16:28] <duanedesign> dditional info on defining an area - http://recordmydesktop.sourceforge.net/rug/p1_2b.php
[16:28] <duanedesign> additional*
[16:28] <duanedesign> now you will Go through the software and execute the steps you rehearsed.
[16:29] <duanedesign> aside from being mindful of how you are speaking you also need to consider your mousse movements.
[16:30] <duanedesign> avoid excessive mouse movements
[16:30] <duanedesign> It is sometimes preferable to record the video first, and add in the audio later. If you're sufficiently able to multi task reading aloud instructions whilst doing them, then record audio and video together.
[16:31] <duanedesign> doing them seperately though has some advantages
[16:31] <duanedesign> When doing them together you have to do both parts perfect.
[16:32] <duanedesign> Ok so it is recorded. Now watch the screencast to ensure all is ok.
[16:32] <duanedesign> If it looks good add a 'intro', 'outro' slides to the start and end of the screencast.
[16:33] <duanedesign> the first part of that is important. Make sure it looks good. You are severly degrading the efectiveness of your screencast when it is not done well.
[16:35] <duanedesign> take the time to do do it over until you nail it. We are looking for professional quality screencasts. You can find some examples of professional looking screencasts by looking at....excuse me I do not have a FOSS related link in front of me.  http://tinyurl.com/6l67xqo
[16:35] <duanedesign> those are microsoft office screecasts.
[16:36] <duanedesign> i can hear the booing and hisses through the internet :)
[16:36] <duanedesign> ok, add a 'intro', 'outro' slides to the start and end of the screencast.
[16:36] <duanedesign> Again there are different ways to do this. I will show you one way
[16:37] <duanedesign> Open OpenOffice Presentation. Make a slide containing the graphics and text you want. Maximise the presentation of the first (header) slide within the virtual machine. You can do this by running Slideshow -> Slideshow
[16:37] <duanedesign> (f5) in OpenOfffice. Using the same process as you did for the main demo record 5-10 seconds. Repeat for the [footer] slid
[16:38] <duanedesign> slide*
[16:39] <duanedesign> if you are recording your audio and video seperately now, after making your intro and outro slides, would be a good time to record the audio
[16:39] <duanedesign> audacity is what i use for that
[16:41] <duanedesign> on audio a nice microphone makes a world of difference. But alot of us have only our laptop or monitor microphone. So if you are using your default microphone make sure your levels are turned up correctly and you are an appropriate distance from the microphone
[16:42] <duanedesign> You do not want to be shouting, but you also do not want to be so close that everytime you use a word iththe letter P your audio distorts and you bust your users eardrums.
[16:43] <duanedesign> once you have the pieces time to put them together
[16:43] <duanedesign> Ubuntu now has a movie editor, Pitivi, installed by default.
[16:44] <duanedesign> Use the Import Clips button in Pitivi to bring your screencast and the header and footer video clips you did into the project. Then you simply click on the clip thumbnails in the upper left of your screen and drag them from the Clip Library to the Timeline. Do this for each clip placing them sequentially in the timeline.
[16:45] <duanedesign>  When you are ready to output the video, select 'Render Project'.
[16:46] <duanedesign> Check the combined audio/video/intro/outro for errors/glitches/sync problems.
[16:46] <duanedesign> again think quality
[16:46] <duanedesign> Optionally if you wish encode/compress screencast to other formats.
[16:46] <duanedesign> that is one way to do screencasts and one set of tools.
[16:48] <duanedesign> their are other apps for recording your screen. kazam is one that I have used before http://launchpad.net/kazam
[16:48] <duanedesign> i have also created a script that uses ffmpeg and parec to record screencasts
[16:49] <duanedesign> you can find instructions to use it and a link to download it on my blog. http://okiebuntu.homelinux.com/blog/?p=175
[16:50] <duanedesign> if you have an interest in making screencasts we have a Screencast Team in the community
[16:50] <duanedesign> we would love to have you. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ScreencastTeam/
[16:50] <duanedesign> you can also find an outline of the steps i went over here on the Screencast Team wiki
[16:52] <duanedesign> any questions.
[16:52] <ClassBot> There are 10 minutes remaining in the current session.
[16:52] <duanedesign> darn my aversion to question marks.
[16:52] <duanedesign> any questions?
[16:52] <duanedesign> thats better :)
[16:54] <ClassBot> j1mc asked: is something like kdenlive a better tool for video editing, even if it uses Qt stuff? Or is pitivi pretty good?
[16:55] <duanedesign> j1mc: i have not used kdenlive but it looks llike a very capable tool.
[16:55] <duanedesign> as long as you can import the clips you record and put them together you are good to go.
[16:56] <ClassBot> jo-erlend asked: on both my laptops, running 11.04 and using Unity, I'm having bug problems with the video from grecordmydesktop.  Small squares are not drawn og only parts of the screen is drawn. Are there better tools to capture Unity in action? Can this be driver issues?
[16:57] <ClassBot> There are 5 minutes remaining in the current session.
[16:57] <duanedesign> I had a similar issue. If you read my blog post link i posted that issue was the genesis for me creating the screencast script
[16:57] <duanedesign> jo-erlend: you might give it a try i would be more then happy to answer any questions you have about using it
[16:58] <duanedesign>  http://okiebuntu.homelinux.com/blog/?p=175
[16:58] <duanedesign> ^^in case you missed it
[16:59] <duanedesign> ok, out of questions and out of time
[17:00] <duanedesign> Thank you everyone for lending me your eyeballs
[17:00] <duanedesign> i look forward to seeing all your great screencasts out their on the intertubes
[17:01] <valorie> Hello, I'm Valorie Zimmerman, a Kubuntu Member. I'd like to tell you about Kubuntu, my favorite Linux distribution ever. https://launchpad.net/~valorie-zimmerman
[17:02] <valorie> I have some prepared stuff, but I hope you'll ask lots of questions too
[17:02] <ClassBot> Logs for this session will be available at http://irclogs.ubuntu.com/2011/05/05/%23ubuntu-classroom.html following the conclusion of the session.
[17:02] <valorie> heh
[17:02] <valorie> Hello, I'm Valorie Zimmerman, a Kubuntu Member. I'd like to tell you about Kubuntu, my favorite Linux distribution ever. https://launchpad.net/~valorie-zimmerman
[17:02] <valorie> Kubuntu is friendly computing. Kubuntu is part of the Ubuntu community, and since it uses the KDE Plasma Desktop, it is also part of the KDE community. As a Debian-based distribution, many of our developers are part of the Debian community as well. Also, we cooperate with Gnome through the FreeDesktop initiative, and hold a large joint developer summit with them every other year. Friendly!
[17:03] <valorie> As an official part of Ubuntu, we share the same system and distribution schedule, as well as Launchpad, the wiki, mail lists, IRC name-space, and Ubuntu-Forum. Many Kubuntu users also post on the KDE Forums, and there is the independent Kubuntuforums.net as well. Also, if you become a Kubuntu Member, you are also a Ubuntu Member. :-)
[17:03] <valorie> http://forum.kde.org/ - http://ubuntuforums.org/ - IRC channel #kubuntu , and #kubuntu-offtopic
[17:03] <valorie> Wiki: https://wiki.kubuntu.org/Kubuntu
[17:04] <valorie> If you like lists, the Kubuntu user list is great: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/kubuntu-users
[17:04] <valorie> hmmm, no questions yet
[17:04] <valorie> I have a few questions which are common
[17:05] <valorie> Is Kubuntu a fork of Ubuntu? No, it is an official part of Ubuntu. All our packages are in the same archives. In fact, you can use Kubuntu packages in Ubuntu without installing Kubuntu itself. Kubuntu users can use their favorite Ubuntu apps as well.
[17:05] <valorie> I already have Ubuntu installed, how can I get Kubuntu? Install kubuntu-desktop with Software Center, Synaptic,  or the command line apt-get install:
[17:05] <valorie> sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
[17:05] <valorie> See InstallingKDE for a full explanation: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingKDE
[17:05] <valorie> I've been asked to be slower
[17:05] <valorie> this is the first time I've done this
[17:06] <valorie> so I'm a little nervous
[17:07] <valorie> Would you like to take a short tour around Kubuntu? http://www.kubuntu.org/feature-tour
[17:08] <valorie> Wikipedia has an excellent article about Kubuntu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubuntu
[17:09] <valorie> I hope I don't overwhelm with links, but there is great stuff out there!
[17:09] <valorie> we have a friendly, hard-working community
[17:09] <valorie> and are community driven
[17:10] <valorie> Main website: http://www.kubuntu.org/ . Here users will find news about new apps, themes, and wallpapers available, and find links to help (user) documentation, team coordination and developer documentation.
[17:11] <valorie> Questions would be great!
[17:12] <valorie> we have one exciting project this cycle, Project Neon
[17:12] <valorie> Contributions "upstream" to Debian and KDE - a team of our Kubuntu packagers have developed Project Neon, which provides daily builds of KDE trunk. https://launchpad.net/~neon , https://wiki.kubuntu.org/Kubuntu/ProjectNeon
[17:12] <valorie> the young guys are really enthusiastic and knowledgeable
[17:13] <valorie> fun to work with
[17:14] <valorie> Join our community! We need expert users who are willing to help out the newcomers in IRC, the list and the forums, we need folks to translate, to write and update documentation, to make our website beautiful and useful, package, triage and kill bugs.
[17:14] <valorie> Challenges ahead: we are losing our founder Jonathan Riddell for a cycle, at least as a full-time staff member. We have an ambitious initiative called Project Timelord, which has been designed to improve developer workflow, and bring and keep Kubuntu at the top of the available distros.
[17:14] <valorie> so we will especially welcome more hands on deck
[17:15] <valorie> from
 New contributors to Neon are always welcome ... we need loads of testers and people who are willing to maintain  new packages and what not for the long term :)
[17:15] <valorie> [09:14] <shadeslayer> we idle in #project-neon  ;)
[17:15] <valorie> for sure
[17:16] <valorie> but they are working hard, not much idling!
[17:17] <valorie> please ask your questions in #ubuntu-classroom-chat, and start with QUESTION:
[17:17] <valorie> so I can see it properly
[17:17] <valorie> we have a bot to help
[17:18] <valorie> and I welcome questions
[17:18] <valorie> :-)
[17:19] <ClassBot> josker asked: ubuntu comes with the unity, kubuntu will implement something in that way with kde ?
[17:20] <valorie> we are working with KDE upstream and with Gnome in opendesktop, to come up with sound menus and such
[17:20] <valorie> I'm not a developer, so I only know a bit about that, from listening in the devel channel
[17:21] <valorie> we already have our netbook version, which anyone with kubuntu installed can try out
[17:21] <valorie> it's a setting in systemsettings
[17:22] <valorie> when you install onto a netbook, that is the interface which will be automatically displayed, but if you would rather the classic interface
[17:22] <valorie> you just change it in systemsettings
[17:22] <valorie> super simple
[17:22] <ClassBot> himcesjf asked: Hi valorie. Great information #ubuntu-classroom! Could you introduce me about graphics which Kubuntu uses? Like the compositing types openGL and XRender, etc ...
[17:23] <valorie> this is a bit technical for me, however, openGL and XRender are two of the choices available, simply again in systemsettings
[17:23] <valorie> people sometimes think that KDE is graphics-heavy
[17:24] <valorie> however, the various desktop effects are easily turned on and off, as well as the rendering mode
[17:25] <valorie> what works for you best, depends on your installed drivers, speed of your equipment, and your preferences, really
[17:25] <valorie> is that specific enough, himcesjf?
[17:26] <ClassBot> doctormo asked: You mention 'opendesktop' is this a different group from freedesktop.org?
[17:26] <valorie> oops, I might have misspoken
[17:26] <valorie> freedesktop.org is where we collaborate
[17:27] <valorie> and ever other year, I think it is, we actually meet together
[17:27] <valorie> this summer, KDE and Gnome are meeting in Berlin
[17:27] <ClassBot> doctormo asked: Has there been any update on Akonadi and what do you feel about further chaos with the new elementary postler backend? Is the KDE community concerned at all about fragmentation of data standards?
[17:28] <valorie> akonadi seems to run well to me, but I'll have to say I don't know much about it specifically
[17:28] <valorie> not sure what the "elementary postler backend" might be -- have not heard that phrase, sorry
[17:29] <valorie> I think everyone is worried about the fragmentation of standards
[17:29] <valorie> I'm not sure what the solution to that is, beyond continuing to work with everybody
[17:29] <valorie> that said, KDE is upstream of Kubuntu
[17:30] <valorie> and while we work with them, Kubuntu is an Ubuntu distro
[17:31] <valorie> I mentioned Project Timelord earlier
[17:31] <valorie> Project Timelord: http://www.kubuntu.org/news/timelord
[17:31] <valorie> for those who are interested
[17:33] <valorie> I have one question in queue I don't know the answer to
[17:33] <valorie> don't mean to ignore anyone, but I'm not a developer
[17:33] <valorie> I do want to encourage non-developers to become part of the community, whether it is Kubuntu, Ubuntu, or one of the other flavors
[17:34] <valorie> or even part of an application team
[17:34] <valorie> Community is more important than code
[17:34] <valorie> we need community people, we need documentation
[17:35] <valorie> we need enthusiastic people writing, and making screencasts, and art, and all other kinds of things
[17:35] <valorie> of course we need coders and packagers
[17:35] <valorie> they make it happen
[17:35] <valorie> but people like me can contribute too, and that's why I was granted membership
[17:36] <valorie> Want to see a video? David Wonderly (DarkwingDuck) did this talk at SCaLe: http://people.ubuntu.com/~david.wonderly/scale also available here: http://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale9x/presentations/your-guide-kubuntu
[17:36] <ClassBot> himcesjf asked: How often is KDE version updated in Kubuntu wrt to KDE releases?
[17:36] <valorie> each time KDE makes a point release, our packagers make it a point of pride to be the first to release it
[17:37] <valorie> not absolutely sure we make it *every* time
[17:37] <valorie> since I haven't been around forever
[17:37] <valorie> :-)
[17:37] <valorie> but we often are first to have it up in a beta PPA, or in backports where that is possible
[17:38] <valorie> since I like testing, I'm nearly always running the latest KDE version
[17:38] <ClassBot> himcesjf asked: Would you introduce me on application framework/toolkits Qt/GTK+ with reference to Kubuntu/KDE?
[17:38] <valorie> heh
[17:39] <valorie> this is a bit over my head, but we use Qt
[17:39] <valorie> ubuntu itself is starting to use Qt as well
[17:39] <valorie> and KDE applications are all in C++ using Qt
[17:40] <valorie> we do often work with GTK applications as well, since any app which Ubuntu offers is available in Kubuntu as well
[17:40] <valorie> if you are using our Oxygen theme, which is standard
[17:41] <valorie> you can get a GTK-Oxygen plugin (I think it's a plugin) to help your GTK apps look more "kubuntu"
[17:42] <valorie> we have a great channel #kubuntu where there are extremely knowledgeable people to answer technical questions
[17:43] <valorie> and for packaging problems and such, #kubuntu-devel channel is also very helpful
[17:43] <ClassBot> eagles0513875 asked: what is being done in regards to nvidia issues with drivers locking up a system rather badly. i posted a bug and got alot of confirmations, latest one and suggestion is downgrading xorg as well as nvidia drivers whats canonical doing to ensure newer drivers fix this issue
[17:44] <valorie> hmmm, eagles didn't stick around
[17:44] <valorie> and I don't know the answer to this one anyway
[17:45] <valorie> I monitor the #kubuntu channel when I have time
[17:45] <valorie> and I don't see many driver problems
[17:46] <valorie> I don't have time to monitor #ubuntu , so I'm not sure if there is a wide-spread issue or not
[17:46] <valorie> bugs are certainly worth filing
[17:46] <valorie> the developers work hard to smush all of them flat
[17:46] <valorie> :-)
[17:47] <ClassBot> josker asked: what are you opnion about having both apps with QT and GTK in kubuntu, sometime i get bad looking with GTK app with kde.
[17:47] <valorie> I
[17:47] <valorie> 'm not sure what the package is called
[17:47] <valorie> but search for GTK and Oxygen
[17:48] <valorie> and install that package
[17:48] <valorie> should make your GTK applications much more attractive, josker
[17:49] <valorie> for more of a technical perspective,
[17:49] <valorie> The expert speaks - Jonathan Riddell, Kubuntu is Awesome from 10.10 OpenWeek: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MeetingLogs/openweekMaverick/KubuntuIsAwesome
[17:50] <valorie> that's in the past, but good stuff there!
[17:50] <valorie> we have a few more minutes, so I'm open for more questions
[17:52] <ClassBot> There are 10 minutes remaining in the current session.
[17:52] <valorie> shadeslayer says, very kewl blogpost http://hugo-kde.blogspot.com/2010/11/oxygen-gtk.html
[17:52] <valorie> about the oxygen-gtk issue
[17:53] <valorie> and http://hugo-kde.blogspot.com/2011/04/taste-of-things-to-come.html
[17:53] <valorie> I blog at linuxgrandma.blogspot.com
[17:53] <valorie> you are welcome to raise questions there, or chime in with your own suggestions
[17:53] <valorie> I try to work through the problems I encounter
[17:54] <valorie> mostly so I have the blog to consult next time I founder!
[17:54] <valorie> but I get great ideas from my commenters
[17:55] <valorie> to wrap up then, since there are no questions
[17:55] <valorie> I would like all of you who are interesting to apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
[17:55] <valorie> and give it a try
[17:56] <valorie> if you like it, but encounter difficulties, please ask for help in #kubuntu
[17:56] <valorie> very friendly, helpful channel
[17:56] <valorie> and ubottu hangs out there too, with helpful hints on tap
[17:57] <valorie> and if you are interested in joining the team, please stop in at #kubuntu-devel and tell us how you would like to contribute
[17:57] <valorie> we're friendly, and will welcome your help
[17:57] <ClassBot> There are 5 minutes remaining in the current session.
[17:58] <valorie> this was a great experience
[17:58] <valorie> thanks everyone!
[18:00] <valorie> now for our next great speaker!
[18:02] <ClassBot> Logs for this session will be available at http://irclogs.ubuntu.com/2011/05/05/%23ubuntu-classroom.html following the conclusion of the session.
[18:04] <j1mc> Hi everyone. Thanks for joining me today to talk about Documentation for Ubuntu!
[18:04] <j1mc> It would be bad if the documentation folks didn't come prepared for their session with some words
[18:04] <j1mc> but I also want you to be able to ask questions, so please feel free to ask questions when you have them.
[18:04] <j1mc> So... Let's get started
[18:04] <j1mc> The title of this session is, "Documentation is a big place: Learn how you can contribute to Ubuntu documentation,"
[18:05] <j1mc> and I've chosen that title for a reason.
[18:05] <j1mc> There's a lot more to creating good user help than just being a good writer
[18:05] <j1mc> and I think documentation can be a rewarding place to contribute, regardless of your skill set or area of interest.
[18:06] <j1mc> This session is intended for people who are looking to contribute to Ubuntu user help in all of its forms. This includes:
[18:06] <j1mc> Writers, editors, programmers, technical writers, translators, sysadmins, graphic designers, web developers, content strategists (people who help organize large amounts of information), and others.
[18:06] <j1mc> a lot of different kinds of people! :)
[18:06] <j1mc> This session will focus on these things:
[18:07] <j1mc> - Who are our users, and what kind of help do we provide for them?
[18:07] <j1mc> - The skills we use and the types of things we work on as part of contributing documentation for Ubuntu
[18:07] <j1mc> - How you can get involved
[18:07] <j1mc> sound good?
[18:07] <j1mc> To get started with our first topic, what kind of help do we provide?
[18:08] <j1mc> As you might expect, the list is pretty big
[18:08] <j1mc> I will chunk-out some of the areas that we focus on.  The items with an asterisk are currently handled by the "Ubuntu Core Docs" team
[18:08] <j1mc> but you can look to contribute to other areas if you want to:
[18:08] <j1mc> Let's start with desktop help
[18:08] <j1mc> we have...
[18:08] <j1mc> * The Ubuntu desktop guide (this is what you see when you search for 'help' in the Dash)
[18:09] <j1mc> * Documentation for Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Ubuntu Studio, Mythbuntu, etc.)
[18:09] <j1mc> */- Applications that are installed in Ubuntu (This could include stuff like from Gedit and the Software Center or even Ubuntu One)
[18:09] <j1mc> I put an "*/-" in front of the application help because Ubuntu-docs team members are very good about contributing upstream application help.
[18:10] <j1mc> but not all of it is done by us
[18:10] <j1mc> Ubuntu docs people have written help for Banshee, gedit, evince, Empathy, and more.
[18:10] <j1mc> We also wrote huge portions of the Gnome3 help.
[18:10] <j1mc> We have a great relationship between upstream Gnome docs and Ubuntu docs, and we work together to help each other out.
[18:11] <j1mc> There is also the Ubuntu Manual (technically, the Ubuntu Manual project is a separate project, but they are a group that is producing help for Ubuntu, too, and our camps are starting to bridge a little bit.)
[18:11] <j1mc> ... is my pace ok for you all?  :)
[18:12] <j1mc> no comments mean i guess my pace is ok
[18:12] <j1mc> :)
[18:12] <j1mc> ok... but we do more than desktop help
[18:12] <j1mc> there is also server docs and Ubuntu infrastructure help
[18:12] <j1mc> The Ubuntu Server Guide ( /me looks at sysadmins... ಠ_ಠ )
[18:13] <j1mc> There is also Ubuntu Cloud documentation (This is a discussion for the coming UDS...)
[18:13] <j1mc> The Ubuntu Packaging Guide (still a work-in-progress, but it's coming along!)
[18:13] <j1mc> Developer documentation
[18:13] <j1mc> Just to reiterate, these aren't *all* handled by the Docs team, but there is room to contribute in all of these areas if any of them strike your fancy. There are a few other areas, too:
[18:14] <j1mc> The Ubuntu wiki: a wiki written for those who want to contribute to Ubuntu: https://wiki.ubuntu.com
[18:14] <j1mc> All of the "team" stuff for various Ubuntu teams is there. It is largely maintained by the individual teams. There are lots of teams.
[18:14] <j1mc> The docs team has our own wiki page on there, too. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DocumentationTeam
[18:14] <j1mc> more on that later, though.
[18:15] <j1mc> We also have the Ubuntu Community wiki (a wiki written for users, by users: https://help.ubuntu.com/community )
[18:15] <j1mc> Some people file bugs against the community wiki in Launchpad, but it is not maintained by the docs team. You can edit it yourself!
[18:15] <j1mc> That is most of my list, though...
[18:15] <j1mc> Has this list made you want to cry?
[18:15] <j1mc> How can we approach all of this help?
[18:15] <j1mc> Isn't documentation supposed to be boring?
[18:16] <j1mc> Although a large part of creating documentation involves the actual writing, creating good user help involves a lot of different skills.
[18:16] <j1mc> Now that we have explored what all we produce, I would like to transition to my second topic: what skills and areas of expertise we use (or want to start using!) to create all of that user help.
[18:16] <j1mc> before I do so, though...
[18:16] <j1mc> let me look for questions. remember to precede your question by typing QUESTION:
[18:17] <j1mc> someone asked: im noticing alot of chatter on  translation list about translating  the ubuntu docs for each loco team  how is that being moved forward
[18:17] <j1mc> we were late with the 11.04 docs (for various reasons)
[18:17] <j1mc> we have now opened up the docs for translations, though
[18:18] <j1mc> and will be doing stable-release updates for 11.04
[18:18] <j1mc> as more docs are translated
[18:18] <j1mc> things will be much better for the 11.10 release, though
[18:18] <j1mc> thank you for that question!
[18:19] <j1mc> ok... what kinds of skills do we use? what approaches do we take as part of the project to produce this work?
[18:19] <j1mc> Of course, there is writing, but what else is in our list?
[18:19] <j1mc> Editing (lots of revisions), Application programming (programming the front- and back-end of the help browser ... yes, some hackers work on documentation!)
[18:19] <j1mc> XML Schema development (Hack, code, hack, code... drink coffee), Refining our XSLT transformations (Woo! More hackers!)
[18:20] <j1mc> Packaging skills for getting the documentation into Ubuntu, Providing documentation updates in prior releases
[18:20] <j1mc> Collaborating with translation teams to translate the documentation
[18:20] <j1mc> wiki maintenance
[18:20] <j1mc> bug triage
[18:20] <j1mc> Graphics and Design (there are pictures in Ubuntu docs now... welcome to the future)
[18:20] <j1mc> Web Development (This is a bit of a 'future development'...)
[18:20] <j1mc> Content strategy (This is stuff like style guides, accessibility guidelines, content templates, taxonomies, user personas, workflow recommendations, etc.)
[18:21] <j1mc> see, there's lots of places to dig in!
[18:21] <j1mc> you don't have to be a programmer to help out, but those are just some of the areas where you *can* help out
[18:21] <j1mc> with so many choices, it might seem overwhelming
[18:22] <j1mc> If documentation is a big place, how can you find your own room?
[18:22] <j1mc> will there be people down the hall that you can talk to?
[18:22] <j1mc> how can you find the bathroom?  :(
[18:22] <j1mc> Ok, maybe I'm taking that metaphor too far, but the question is, "How can you get involved? Where can you get get started?"
[18:22] <j1mc> Wow, what a nice segue to my next topic
[18:23] <j1mc> how you can get involved
[18:23] <j1mc> The most important part of just to pick something that interests you.
[18:23] <j1mc> Take some time to consider it, what would be neat to work on?
[18:23] <j1mc> What do you think you might be good at?
[18:23] <j1mc> Where is there work that needs to be done?
[18:24] <j1mc> The teams are somewhat separate between Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu
[18:24] <j1mc> but we all work together under the same umbrella
[18:24] <j1mc> We're all part of the larger docs team
[18:24] <j1mc> Once you have a rough idea of where you may want to contribute, dig in.
[18:24] <j1mc> ask questions
[18:24] <j1mc> With the Ubuntu Docs team, the best way to get involved is to join our mailing list, and introduce yourself.
[18:25] <j1mc> The mailing list is here: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-doc
[18:25] <j1mc> Don't fret over not knowing enough or put a lot of pressure on yourself--it takes time to learn.
[18:25] <j1mc> If you pick something that you think will be interesting, and then later find out that it is boring and lame, you can switch to something else. It can take a while to find your niche.
[18:26] <j1mc> You can also peruse our archives to see what kinds of topics we've been talking about lately: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-doc/
[18:26] <j1mc> In your introduction, you should explain a little about yourself, what drew you to the team, what skills you have, and what you may be interested in working on.
[18:26] <j1mc> In your introduction, you should explain a little about yourself, what drew you to the team, what skills you have, and what you may be interested in working on...
[18:27] <j1mc> and you could contribute to documentation for that feature.
[18:27] <j1mc> Or maybe you know a lot about packaging, you could contribute to the Ubuntu Packaging Guide.
[18:27] <j1mc> The team has worked a lot to improve our help for 11.04, but there is still a lot more to do
[18:27] <j1mc> We are in the process of laying out some strategic goals
[18:27] <j1mc> as well as some specific goals for 11.10
[18:27] <j1mc> so now is a great time to get involved
[18:28] <j1mc> We have two blueprints that are lined up for this coming UDS. One on strategy, and one on our goals for the 11.10 release.
[18:28] <j1mc> https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/desktop-o-ubuntu-docs-strategy
[18:28] <j1mc> https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/community-o-ubuntu-docs-goals-oneiric
[18:28] <j1mc> If you join the mailing list now, you'll be in a great spot to identify areas where you can contribute for this coming release.
[18:28] <j1mc> Briefly, some big-picture areas that we're looking to focus on include better help on the web, leveraging community-based help, and building Ubuntu as a platform for technical writers.
[18:29] <j1mc> There are lots of deliverables included in that, and we'll need to identify particular goals for each release that will get us closer to those long-term goals.
[18:29] <j1mc> our team wiki has info about how to join the team: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DocumentationTeam
[18:29] <j1mc> And there is a contributors page in launchpad: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-doc-contributors
[18:30] <j1mc> On IRC, we hang out in #ubuntu-doc on the freenode network (this one!)
[18:30] <j1mc> *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ ***
[18:30] <j1mc> : )
[18:30] <j1mc> That is most of what I had prepared to talk about today, so now we have some extra time to go over things
[18:30] <j1mc> ask / answer questions
[18:31] <j1mc> Talk about how much we're improving docs
[18:31] <j1mc> please remember to start your questions with QUESTION
[18:34] <j1mc> shaunm asks: how many documents is ubuntu-core-doc in charge of?
[18:34] <j1mc> i'd have to look, but in the documentation that we shipped with 11.04, I think we had about 170 different topics
[18:35] <j1mc> for this release we worked largely off of upstream gnome documentation, and adapted it for ubuntu
[18:35] <j1mc> that's another thing about picking an area that interests you
[18:35] <j1mc> if you use a lot of the graphics tools...
[18:36] <j1mc> you can contribute to the user help for shotwell (the app in ubuntu for handling your photos)
[18:36] <j1mc> or you could even contribute to upstream inkscape or gimp help
[18:36] <j1mc> of course, if you're a graphics pro (or want to be one), we could use your assistance with the images in ubuntu docs
[18:38] <j1mc> another question asked what i meant by upstream... other distros using unity as an interface
[18:38] <j1mc> i meant it more in the sense of gnome 3's interface
[18:38] <j1mc> we used much of the structure that we created for gnome 3 help (the help layout) for the ubuntu 11.04 help
[18:39] <j1mc> we will be tinkering with the layout a bit for 11.10, though
[18:39] <j1mc> and will be working with gnome folks as we make those adjustments
[18:39] <j1mc> share and share alike. :)
[18:40] <j1mc> there is a lot of innovation going on in open-source help now, though.
[18:40] <j1mc> this is good, because there is a lot of *room* for innovation at this time.  :)
[18:40] <j1mc> we want to make free software user help top notch
[18:41] <j1mc> one area that i forgot to mention includes OEMs
[18:41] <j1mc> in a way, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are *downstream* of ubuntu docs
[18:42] <j1mc> they can take what we create, and tweak it to suit their product
[18:42] <j1mc> we want to make sure that our user help is appropriate for them, as well
[18:43] <j1mc> In terms of the future direction for the docs: some of the enhancements that we are looking at include
[18:43] <j1mc> - context-sensitive help
[18:43] <j1mc> ... so if you're using Unity 2-d, you will automatically see help that is appropriate for the 2d version
[18:44] <j1mc> ... or if you're using Kubuntu, you would see Kubuntu help
[18:44] <j1mc> all automatically
[18:44] <j1mc> - faceted navigation
[18:44] <j1mc> ... so you can see only those topic areas that you are interested in
[18:44] <j1mc> - a much more robust web presence
[18:45] <j1mc> We're also in touch with folks from KDE to work together on a help browser that will integrate better with online help
[18:46] <j1mc> If you have ideas around any of these topics, or if you just want to help with writing help for Ubuntu...
[18:46] <j1mc> you are welcome to join us.  : )
[18:48] <j1mc> thanks very much for your time today, everyone.  :)
[18:50] <j1mc> joksher asked: Question:so far i've only seen user documentation, i mean a more friendly docs, there are any place where i  can find a more detailed doc about the system wide.
[18:51] <j1mc> It sounds like you're asking for more broad-based user help... not just help on a particular topic...
[18:51] <j1mc> but more generalized help on just using the system .
[18:51] <j1mc> for that, i would recommend the ubuntu manual.
[18:51] <j1mc> the 11.04 manual isn't out yet, but they are working to get one out.
[18:52] <ClassBot> There are 10 minutes remaining in the current session.
[18:52] <j1mc> saimanoj52 asked about how to contribute through code. and how to learn how to contribute through code
[18:52] <j1mc> for that i would look to some of the gnome documentation developer tutorials and look to the ubuntu packaging guide
[18:52] <j1mc> if you go to library.gnome.org ...
[18:53] <j1mc> you will find the developer tutorials
[18:53] <j1mc> daniel holbach recently put up a blog post about the packaging guide
[18:53] <j1mc> so if you search for his blog, you will find info on it
[18:54] <j1mc> other questions?
[18:54] <j1mc> (there is also a packaging guide on the wiki... but...
[18:54] <j1mc> this new project is set to replace that
[18:54] <j1mc> )
[18:55] <j1mc> it will be easier to maintain the packaging guide in a non-wiki format, and it will be easier to translate, too.
[18:56] <j1mc> just as a gentle nudge... if you're at all interested, join the mailing list and send us an introductory note.
[18:56] <j1mc> thanks very much for your time today, everyone.  :)
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[19:40] <louis89> slt
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[22:28] <Street992> hy all