Excellent discussion all. Here's some experiential history to consider. <br><br>WordPress Levels have been set to be:<ol><li>Beginners/New to WordPress: Installation (if necessary), setup, terms, posts, Pages, finding and switching Themes, links and images and video (content stuff).</li>
<li>Plugin Writing: For those into the technical side of developing Plugins from simple to sophisticated.</li><li>Theme Development: For all the web designers of the world embracing WordPress.</li><li>Developers: Coders, hackers, core developers, customizers, delving deep into the engine that runs WordPress. </li>
<li>Contribution: Documentation to support those who want to give back through docs, forums, Plugins, Themes, WordCamps, devs (an area we definitely need more documentation on). </li></ol><br>We've found that terms like intermediate and advanced don't work. We tried. They are vague and don't apply specifically to the areas that people are really interested in. <br>
<br>The most successful TOC structure we've found is to give key links to "sub" table of content pages so people can drill down to their specific needs. We've tried most popular links, a site map structure, and a variety of ways to speed up clicks from the front to the answer in the past 8 years. The current structure of sub TOC pages for drill down works as many people really don't know what they are looking for. This method leads them down the right path with a familiar "book" format. <br>
<br>This has been especially true since the search functionality on the Codex has always sucked and now is worse since changes in structure in the past year turns up EVERYTHING WordPress.org when you think you are searching only in the Codex. We need to get that fixed and restrict documentation searches to documentation with an option to expand into Plugins, Themes, and Forum results. It's taking me longer than ever to get right to the page I need as Codex pages are way down on the results and I "know" exactly the same of the page. <br>
<br>A lot of the help in creating the structure of the front page came from WordCamps. As they grew, they developed tracks, funneling participants to areas of most interest to them. As a frequent attendee to WordCamps worldwide, I realized the natural pattern their program tracks created and used that for structuring the new look for the front page. It's like the architect who left landscaping for a year or two after the building was built. The natural path of people to and from the building became the sidewalks rather than forcing people to cut across the grass. <br>
<br>As for the Book Jog, there is the WordPress Handbook which will link directly with the WordPress core and is divided up into similar breakdowns as above. It already has documentation based upon the Codex and will become the key "manual" for WordPress. The Codex will continue to exist as a more in depth support documentation service, digging deeper into subjects beyond the Handbook and offering topics it doesn't cover. I don't see the docs team splitting their energies away from support for the Codex and Handbook as there is so much work to do here, do you? <br>
<br>Lorelle<br><br><br>