[wp-forums] Re: Was: Purpose of the list Is: About users

Thu Jun 30 18:45:56 GMT 2005

Moshu wrote:
> Now addressing only the one above:
> I think less and less docs are needed (the Codex is becoming almost complete) - the problem is users don't like to read :)
> They want instant gratification. Even when they are directed to the right pages in the Codex some of them will want to get their question answered in the forum.
> A recent example is here:
> http://wordpress.org/support/topic/37813#post-213669
> It also seems there is some confusion about the "solved" status which, AFAIK, doesn't mean the thread is closed!

I agree about the docs..and users, but only to a point.
I think we have a few types of user:

* The user who is new to the whole thing, maybe had a friend install WP 
and now they've got an error and they panic. These people do not read, 
are probably worried, and need clear directions to solve things. While 
pointing them at Codex maybe useful, they may also just post back with 
"I don't understand" and we end up helping them. (and that's we do, what 
the forums are there for). (These people bump)

* The user who is just lazy. Can't be bothered to search, won't read the 
sticky that has the answer they need. (These people bump)

* The user who genuinely has tried but cannot understand for whatever 
reason, be that css, php, templates or whatever. They have the info, 
they just need a bit of stepping through it until 'the penny drops' (so 
to speak)

* The user who has searched, but used the wrong terms. Doesn't really 
matter why, but if they came at it from a different angle then they got 
lost it's for us to help them out.

* The user who genuinely trying something different and posts as much 
for inspiration as well as assistance.

And lastly, the users who expect perfect docs, perfect help, for WP to 
function as they desire, who bleat that OSS shouldn't mean anything less 
than perfect and wish that we had phpBB so they could no doubt spend 
their time waiting by reading all the witty sigs and looking at the 
funky avatars.

The challenge of course is meeting them all with the same smiling 
response .... and even with a perfect codex, we'd still need a forum.

P.