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Wed Aug 17 18:42:36 UTC 2011

de is one place where you can send new WordPress users to use their new Wor=
dPress site. Essentially, something as user friendly as Learn WordPress (<a=
 href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/" target=3D"_blank">https://learn.word=
press.com/</a>) but targeted at people using self-hosted blogs.

So all the information is already on the codex but as I see it the challeng=
e is to; 
 
* cut this information down to say something about the same length as Learn=
 WordPress 
* add screenshots to make it more user friendly 
* create a linear format that new user can work through 
* self contained, so that it can be used as a base for other guides 
 
The closest page I could come to that was this one. 
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide" target=
=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide</=
a> 
 
It&#39;s linear and not too long. Generally with this kind of guide I think=
 the tricky part is deciding what to leave out. 
 
Although it&#39;s sometimes out of date, I think that the above quick start=
 page is super useful and a good base to work from. It also comes up second=
 on a search for &#39;wordpress guide&#39; so it might be a good priority t=
o update. =A0In a spirit of helpfulness, I&#39;ll compare it to the Learn W=
ordPress and some specific articles that we created on floss manuals. Both =
resources have text and maybe even more usefully screenshots which can be p=
orted across. I&#39;ll post links and then make some comments.

<br>
----//// begin comments<br>
<br>
A couple of general observations I think generally it is probably a bad ide=
a to link to external videos (especially pay for view ones) and external gu=
ides as they go out of date pretty quickly. Also, for me, references to alt=
ering css and template files don&#39;t have a place in a beginners guide ap=
art from maybe in a section on taking your knowledge further.<br>

** Installing, configuring and logging in 
 
<a href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/get-started/" target=3D"_blank">http=
s://learn.wordpress.com/get-started/</a> 
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#Get_Set_U=
p" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Star=
t_Guide#Get_Set_Up</a> 
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/installling-on-a-server" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/installling-on-=
a-server</a> 
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/logging-in" target=3D"_blan=
k">http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/logging-in</a> 
 
So the first observation is that Learn WordPress is much easier. There&#39;=
s not much we can do about that. Both the codex and flossmanuals ones seem =
out of date and could do with a rewrite and links updated. It does seem to =
make sense to link to the 5 minute install and detailed instructions at the=
 Installing WordPress codex article here rather than to go into too much de=
tail.

The quick start guide has some material in this section that I would probab=
ly move to a later section, this includes info on importing and site settin=
gs like permalinks, and comment settings. The LWP (Learn WordPress) quickly=
 moves on to an overview the dashboard. I think is a good idea.

<br>
It would be good to have a quick guide with screen shots on how to log in t=
o your blog.<br>
<br>
**Intro to Dashboard / General Settings<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#Explore_Y=
our_New_WordPress_Blog" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/<u></u=
>WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#<u></u>Explore_Your_New_WordPress_<u></u>Blog<=
/a><br>

<a href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/get-acquainted/" target=3D"_blank">h=
ttps://learn.wordpress.com/get-acquainted/</a> 
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/introduction-to-the-dashboa=
rd/" target=3D"_blank">http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/introduc=
tion-to-the-dashboard/</a> 
 
LWP and the FM (floss manuals) have short intro to the dashboard and genera=
l settings with some screen shots. We could just port some of this across a=
nd remove the out of date content. 
 
The entry on admin panel in codex is too detailed and non-linear <a href=3D=
"http://codex.wordpress.org/Administration_Panels" target=3D"_blank">http:/=
/codex.wordpress.org/Administration_Panels</a> 
The codex entry on the dashboard didn&#39;t seem focused on the priorities =
of the new user - <a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/Dashboard_Screen" t=
arget=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/Dashboard_Screen</a>

<br>
** Get Focused<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/get-focused/" target=3D"_blank">http=
s://learn.wordpress.com/<u></u>get-focused/</a><br>
<br>
The FM guide and quick guide don&#39;t contain anything on content but that=
 might be a nice thing to do as it breaks up the techiness of the guide.<br=
>
<br>
** Create Content<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#Create_Co=
ntent" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/<u></u>WordPress_Quick_=
Start_Guide#<u></u>Create_Content</a><br>
<a href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/get-published/" target=3D"_blank">ht=
tps://learn.wordpress.com/<u></u>get-published/</a><br>
<a href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/get-flashy/" target=3D"_blank">https=
://learn.wordpress.com/<u></u>get-flashy/</a><br>
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/add-a-post" target=3D"_blan=
k">http://en.flossmanuals.net/<u></u>wordpress/add-a-post</a><br>
<br>
For all of these guides there are sub entries for the different types of en=
tries, posts, pages, adding images, using wysiwig, adding links, tags, cate=
gories etc,<br>
<br>
The LWP guide is really pretty short and links out to additional content fo=
r more complicated steps like creating custom menus and adding image galler=
ies.<br>
<br>
The FM guide breaks up different functions like adding images, videos, imag=
e galleries into separate sections and gives step by step instructions with=
 screenshots.<br>
<br>
The quick guide has some of these sections but could do with some screensho=
ts.<br>
<br>
I think that ideally these section would be a self contained, visual summar=
y which gives a step by step example of how to do the most simple applicati=
on of a feature but which doesn&#39;t aim at completeness, linking out to m=
ore comprehensive information. I&#39;ve tried to do that here. Some may fin=
d the simplification offensive (sorry!).<br>

<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/using-categories-and-tags/"=
 target=3D"_blank">http://en.flossmanuals.net/<u></u>wordpress/using-catego=
ries-<u></u>and-tags/</a><br>
<br>
There are loads of screenshots which can be ported from FM to codex for the=
se sections.<br>
<br>
Also missing in the codex is a quick into to adding user and roles - there =
is one in FM<br>
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/user-roles" target=3D"_blan=
k">http://en.flossmanuals.net/<u></u>wordpress/user-roles</a><br>
which is a summary of this codex page - <a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.o=
rg/Roles_and_Capabilities" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/<u>=
</u>Roles_and_Capabilities</a><br>
with a step by step guide with screenshots on how to add users.<br>
<br>
** Style your site<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#Style_You=
r_Site" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/<u></u>WordPress_Quick=
_Start_Guide#<u></u>Style_Your_Site</a><br>
<a href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/get-customized/" target=3D"_blank">h=
ttps://learn.wordpress.com/<u></u>get-customized/</a><br>
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/themes" target=3D"_blank">h=
ttp://en.flossmanuals.net/<u></u>wordpress/themes</a> =A0and see other chap=
ters in the Design section<br>
<br>
All three guides have got some good sections on themes and widgets. There i=
s some very user friendly text in LWP which could add something<br>
<br>
I also really like the idea of including something about using wordpress to=
 create a website.<br>
LWP links to this. <a href=3D"http://en.support.wordpress.com/using-wordpre=
ss-to-create-a-website/" target=3D"_blank">http://en.support.wordpress.<u><=
/u>com/using-wordpress-to-create-<u></u>a-website/</a><br>
FM has this quick guide - <a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/m=
aking-a-website-instead-of-a-blog/" target=3D"_blank">http://en.flossmanual=
s.net/<u></u>wordpress/making-a-website-<u></u>instead-of-a-blog/</a><br>
and this page on menus which I think is very valuable in this situation.<br=
>
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/using-menus/" target=3D"_bl=
ank">http://en.flossmanuals.net/<u></u>wordpress/using-menus/</a><br>
<br>
I think that the above menu page would be a good replacement for this secti=
on<br>
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#Configure=
_How_Your_Pages_Appear" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/<u></u=
>WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#<u></u>Configure_How_Your_Pages_<u></u>Appear<=
/a><br>

<br>
** Add More Functionality / Plugins<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#Add_More_=
Functionality" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/<u></u>WordPres=
s_Quick_Start_Guide#<u></u>Add_More_Functionality</a><br>
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/intro-to-plugins/" target=
=3D"_blank">http://en.flossmanuals.net/<u></u>wordpress/intro-to-plugins/</=
a><br>
<br>
It is a big area to cover and both guides take the same tactic of describin=
g what plugins are, covering how to install them, giving examples of a few =
plugins and how they work.<br>
<br>
This is a useful page to link to<br>
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/Managing_Plugins" target=3D"_blank">h=
ttp://codex.wordpress.org/<u></u>Managing_Plugins</a><br>
It describes installing plugins with the built installer (with manual insta=
llation as a fall back) which seems like a more user friendly process than =
via ftp which is recommended in the current guide.<br>
<br>
** Building readers<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"https://learn.wordpress.com/get-connected/" target=3D"_blank">ht=
tps://learn.wordpress.com/<u></u>get-connected/</a><br>
<br>
It might be nice to mirror this section in LWP but rewritten with some sugg=
ested tools like cross posting to twitter or a &#39;follow me&#39; plugin.<=
br>
<br>
** Understand the Code More / Advanced Admin<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Quick_Start_Guide#Understan=
d_the_Code_More" target=3D"_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/<u></u>WordPr=
ess_Quick_Start_Guide#<u></u>Understand_the_Code_More</a><br>
<a href=3D"http://en.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/security/" target=3D"_blank=
">http://en.flossmanuals.net/<u></u>wordpress/security/</a><br>
<br>
Both FM and the quick guide have sections about taking it beyond the basics=
, analytics, upgrading, securing your installation. I guess the key here is=
 to keep it brief and link to good beginner friendly pages on the codex.<br=
>

I think the approach on the quick guide is good in terms of scope, modifyin=
g themes and understanding the loop. However, I think they need to lead the=
 user by the hand a lot more and give some practical examples before sendin=
g new users off deep into the heart of the codex. I know Martin who has bee=
n working on the FM guide is up for doing some work in this area soon so I =
can keep you updated on this.

<br>
----//// end comments<br>
<br>
I hope that these observations and suggestions are taken in the spirit of c=
ollaboration in which they are intended. =A0I am very happy that there is g=
oing to be an updated guide.<br>
<br>
I only have sporadic access to good Internet and so I tend to sprint on the=
se kinds of projects which is not ideal sometimes, as all the suggestions c=
ome at once. I am happy to take on some work transferring some / any of con=
tent to the codex if I am given some guidance on where to put it.<div class=
=3D"HOEnZb">

<div class=3D"h5"><br>
<br>
nice one<br>
Mick<br>
<br>
<br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br>

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