04-05-2014, 11:44 PM
(04-05-2014, 05:20 PM)bearbin Wrote: What about a HTML file that has the same format as a PDF? That will not require a PDF reader, and everybody has a web browser.
In response to xoft, I think a new Wiki (old one just needs a nuke and a start again) can coexist with a user manual, as they serve slightly different purposes - a manual just has the basics of running the server and things that you normally need to do, but a wiki has _everything_ people know about MCServer.
It doesn't have to be a PDF. It can be an open word file, or whatever. I just want an easy to read, well formatted (My greatest challenge yet!) manual that tells you how to operate and use MCServer. Not a quick start guide. A manual. If written correctly, user tutorials within the scope of a freshly downloaded MCServer shouldn't be necessary. Plus, I always find that wiki's are horribly designed for user manual style navigation. You want an intro, a table of contents, and then a linearly written document that conveys information in a logical fashion.
While a Wiki could do that, the interface is designed more for semi-random browsing of information, like Wikipedia. If people are going to be editing the Wiki, it's going to eventually get messy and require upkeep to keep it sane. Plus, trolls. There might always be trolls that mess with the Wiki.
An HTML site would work; Git Bash's new user manual is formatted as both an ebook, PDF, and HTML. But, when trying to reference info, I always find navigating through a website slower than a single document. That, and I've seen dead manual links before, which are not nice. Including a proper manual with the program is the simplest and safest solution.
I think a Wiki might be good for miscellaneous things that are not rightly covered in the manual, such as advanced networking, or network trouble shooting, or special plugins or mods. Things that aren't really a part of MCServer but are useful to know. But that would be best kept separate from the manual itself.
I know I probably sound a bit annoying saying this but I always have a bit of an inner groan when I find that the documentation for something is online, and it always gets a worse when I find out it's a wiki.