Call for opinions: One module guide per year or two?

[ohallot]

Hi Team

So far we publish 2 guides per module each year. This brings quite some load to our little team of volunteers and we know how bad it is when we widen the gap between the software release and the guide release.

The Engineering Steering Committee has agreed with the TDF Marketing team to change the release numbering, and will use 24.2 and 24.8 for the coming year.

The marketing team suggested we release only one guide per module each year. I like the idea. It can help us to better manage our time I think. But of course, it depends on our availability and discipline not to get late in updating the contents.

So I’d like to ask you if that makes sense to you. My personal opinion is to get the Guides ready by August each year, with the only one release number, for example, “24”, “25” and so on. August in the year will match the second release of the year and carries the new features (this is very subjective, but marketing is subjective). On the other hand, releasing in February will match the new (updated) guides with the software version…

Please give your opinion.

Kind regards
Olivier

[jeanweber]

One guide per module per year sounds very sensible to me. I have long thought that doing two was too much.
I suggest we also consider not attempting to do ALL the modules for the same release; do some for August and some for February. I know that some users prefer to have a complete set with the same number, but often we don’t get a complete set done anyway.
Edit: I just re-read Olivier’s post. If we just just the year release number, then we’ll end up with a complete set by doing them in two batches.
Jean

[kees538]

I also agree. The (visible) changes between two releases are often not that much. The Dutch documentation team already decided to translate every other version of the guide.

[ohallot]

Hi

Following the suggestion by @jeanweber , based on the module importance for end users, get Writer and Calc guides ready by February, and the remaining for August, or along the year (that is, from March on, or at the pace the team decides).

Olivier
PS: Nevertheless I will do the Calc Guide 7.6.

[valtermura]

I agree with your proposal. I think one publication is enough and allows “document writers” to work better.