As an admin 99% of my Lotus life, I ask a favor of all of you developers out there.
While I and fellow admins try very hard to walk through a process, screen by screen or step by step, when posting is it asking too much from all of you to do the same?
Is it too much to ask of developers to think of users or new developers/admins who do not know how to make a widget or half the things you guys post? There are admins who need to do both but have little or no training on the dark art of development.
Some of you are very good at this, or if asked will expand or answer questions but the truth is, some people are not able to just IM/email you and ask. They could, but they won't just like they don't comment either.
Think of your posts as writing for students with no background and it will make all lives easier.
When Declan did his marathon of 54 posts on writing an xpages app (starts here). It was pretty detailed and I admit not going through it all, work does get in the way sometimes, but that is the point. I could pick up where I left off.
Sure, I have posted some short posts without thought but over the last year or so since submitting abstracts to LS09 on sessions aimed at newbies I have tried to be more detailed in my thought process when posting technical items.
IBMers sometimes forget those of us out here don't always have days to work on a demo that is cool or unique, we get bogged down in day to day things. I recall from my days on the inside that together we could knock out some cool stuff and show great things but sometimes I got it from someone else or picked up something no one else did or knew about on a regular basis.
On the outside though it's a snails pace sometimes to get things done and when one sees something cool, only to be lost from the starting steps, that is not user friendly in my mind.
But I understand where you are coming from. Really I do. And the end is usually beneficial but if one can't do what you posted, then who benefited from it after all?
Like Lotusphere, we want to get across so much sometimes in a short time frame that we forget not everyone is on our plain of thinking or knowledge level, and then, what have you or anyone gained from your session/post?
As we come into the LS10 frenzy, please keep this in mind(many do and have through the years) and let's make LS10 a place for new people as well as old friends.
Amen Bro ... Amen!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I make all new Lotus Notes developers I train go through my "Administration" training. It a version of training most experienced Notes Admins would chuckle at but knowing both ends of the spectrum is incredibly important in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteElijah
I am actually submitting a presentation call ed development 101 back to basics. so I am with you on what is needed
ReplyDeleteThanks guys, was wondering if it was just me, glad to hear you will be submitting that session John. Good luck with getting it approved.
ReplyDeleteI agree to a point.
ReplyDeleteI think the fastest period of learning for the Yellowsphere was Jake Howlett pushing the limit with every post he published.
It's going to be even harder to "go back to basics" when people are disengaging from Lotusscript and focusing on xPages.
Tommy,
ReplyDeleteI understand, really I do.
But if there is a "step 1-3 or whatever" for any xpages app of any kind, if it is just written once, then linked to by everyone else, that would resolve part of the problem.
Instead I read posts that make no sense unless I was a developer.
Looking for some guidance so new people trying to learn xpages or anything in Domino have a starting point that does say, file-application-new create name because most users don't know they can even do that much in modern times.
It's also important to point out all the steps because DDE is so unfamiliar in so many ways. I've read posts that mention "views" and I can't find what they're talking about because they mean the Eclipse views, not Notes views.
ReplyDeleteSahi Rishi is doing a what's new in DDE series, which has been very helpful.
Charles, I saw Sahi's latest post and am interested to follow his project/postings.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, a view is not just a view unless it's from The View.