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It's the Documentation, Stupid!
Roblimo writes "Brian Jones, a sysadmin for Princeton University, has written a Linux.com column that says open source developers need to provide better documentation if they expect support from sysadmins like him: 'With documentation, I can get to know the software,' he writes. 'Then I'll install it on a test box. If it works, great, I'm tickled pink. If it doesn't quite work, then I'm interested in giving feedback, because here's someone who will roll it back into the product or the documentation. This is a useful cycle that benefits millions, not the least of which is the coder! Documentation ends up resulting in a more mature product! Wake up!'"
I am interested in pursuing a career in documentation writing. What better way to earn experience than by writing documentation for open source programs?
I don't feel that I have the ability to write something along the lines of KDE documentation just yet. I would like to start with something small.
If you have an open source program that is lacking in documentation send an email to tjfriese@hotmail.com and we'll see if I can't help you out. If your program has an ebuild for Gentoo, that would be a bonus.
From "The Complete Idiots Guide to Technical Writing" by Krista Van Laan and Catherine Julian
"The Open-Source Writers Group is a nonprofit organization whose primary goal is to improve the overall quality and quantity of free open-source and open-content documentation. Their web site at: http://www.ibiblio.org/oswg/index.html includes a page where you each register as a volunteer writer, editor, or proofreader for documentation related to open-source projects." - page 41
I have briefly skimmed this site and it appears to be a valuable resource.
In closing, I do agree with the parent. What good is a tool if no one knows how to use it?