@jrconlin @hyc @mhoye the solution to "there is a big gap between what maintainers provide and what users need" is not to ask overworked/underpaid FOSS maintainers to take on more responsibility. nor is it to deny the need exists.
the solution is for the broader community to recognize the value of user-facing, newcomer-friendly docs and dedicated user support, and to help maintainers provide them. that requires investment. it's part of the broader open source collective action problem.
@shauna @jrconlin @hyc @mhoye
I can think of a couple of categories of things beyond the core code itself that are needed for the long-term health of a project:
- an accurate and detailed man page
- a "getting started" guide that deals with building, installing, and running some kind of "hello world" code to validate the install
- architecture documents that describe how and when to use the code
- a conference presentation aimed at a knowledgable audience
- full-length book
Rare to get all.
@shauna @jrconlin @hyc @mhoye
I can think of a couple of categories of things beyond the core code itself that are needed for the long-term health of a project:
- an accurate and detailed man page
- a "getting started" guide that deals with building, installing, and running some kind of "hello world" code to validate the install
- architecture documents that describe how and when to use the code
- a conference presentation aimed at a knowledgable audience
- full-length book