Hi Friends,
I've been asked to do a brief, informal survey about a new version of the current chat tutorial, How to Ask Smart Questions, which is found on the Chat Now page of the Inkscape website.

If anyone has a few minutes to help make the website better, would you please read the new version (linked below), and give me any comments you might have about it? You can either post them below as a reply, or PM me, if you'd rather respond privately.

Instead of an 8-page PDF, it's now condensed to only 4 pages (and embedded on the page, rather than linked). And you have to click "I Understand" at the bottom of each page, to get to the next page.

**Importantly, please note that after you click "I Understand" on the 4th page (the last page), the whole thing will disappear, and you will not be able view the document again.**

(It's some kind of "glitch" which (I assume) will be fixed, before it replaces the old one.) So if you want to review it more than once, be sure to use the Back buttons (which are beside I Understand buttons).

As you consider it, remember this document is primarily for newbies -- both Inkscape newbies, as well as people who have never used IRC before.

It's not only brief and informal, but also an open ended survey -- just whatever comments you might have -- long, short, positive, or suggestions to improve.

new version

Thank you very much,
brynn

It is intended to only be shown once for any new user.
The reset functionality was added by Martin to allow for your user survey

Else we'd block access to the chat for people who come there a lot - you don't want to have to click through this each time you want to chat.

The original pdf is still available on the website: https://inkscape.org/de/community/chat/ - so we can always point people there or they can look there themselves if they feel uncertain.

Ooohh, I didn't realize that's how it's set up. I thought it was independant of the actual chat, like the PDF version. (I think Martin probably explained that from the start, but I was still sick when I read the first message, so it didn't "register".)

Thanks for clearing that up.

Hi again,
I'm bumping this up, and hoping for a few responses. If you don't feel comfortable posting your comments publically, you can use PM to send them. Just click that little speech balloon next to "Contact: ", under my name to the right of this message - - - - - > > > >

Or should I take the lack of respondants to mean that there is no room for improvement? Is the 2nd version perfect?

Unless clarification of your response is needed, there won't be any back and forth discussion. Your opinions about your experience reading the 2 documents will be taken at face value (unless I don't understand what you're saying). This is part of an effort to make the Inkscape website better for newbies, and is a simple way to contribute to the Inkscape project.

Even though the original document is 8 pages, it's like a cartoon with 8 frames -- really easy to read. But we hope the 2nd version is even easier. (Mouse over bullet points for details, if needed.)

Thanks again

Honestly I have been visiting #inkscape through freenode's site since inkscape's site was down for a few days.
No need to click a confirmation message (like when deleting spam...) or even scrolling to go through all pages nor is there too much of the unwanted conversation in my humble opinion.

We all know no matter how well the manual may be written some people will always ask others because it's more comfortable to them.
"Why would I need going to a huge pile of knowledge and reading? My problem is so easy that they MUST tell me the solution right away if it exists. If not, its their fault anyway, why can't they put together a decent program? That's why professionals never using it..."
-like you not even a professional, stuck with basics yet full of complaints about free stuff.
A brief reading cannot cure ignorance of the few but is annoying to everyone.

As far as I know there is a separate channel dedicated to the developers too, probably the reason why the main channel is so silent.

Ahh. Ok, well I don't use IRC myself, because I can't seem to type fast enough to keep up with a discussion. So I'm not familiar with how much use each channel gets. (I'm doing this as a favor to the author. What can I say? I like to be helpful )

So to clarify, you're saying there doesn't seem to be a need for such a newbie guide, because a) users needing help are in too much of a hurry to read it, and b) since there's a separate channel for developers, the guide about manners isn't needed so much for the user channel, and c) the user channel doesn't get much use and most discussion is on the developer channel?

And also, it's pain to have to click through the guide in the first place.

Do I understand correctly?

(Note that you will only have to click through the guide the first time. After that, it will not reappear (that's why my warning about clicking OK on the last page, if you want to go back and read something again -- after you click OK on the last page, the whole thing disappears).)

Thank you very much for taking the time, Lazur

Yes, that's about it.

Not sure if I have read the updated guide though.
I understand that you only have to read it once but I was visiting from before, where it wasn't a MUST.
And the "once" may also be once each time you visit from a new ip/after deleting all cookies.

There are times when there is more conversation, but you don't need to worry about typing slow...
Probably it was Suv mostly, didn't see her lately.

Compare #inkscape to #blender or #design, where there are more conversation.