Suggestions for improving the article submissions
Thanks!
Brad!
(( This is for articles not posts ))
[347 byte] By [Brad Jones] at [2007-11-20 11:47:24] 
I'd like to hear any specific, constructive suggestions for making things better, clearer, and easier when it comes to submitting articles to dev-archive. If you have comments about the interface, please provide constructive suggestions to go with any complaints.
Thanks!
Brad!
(( This is for articles not posts ))
# 1 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
I think that the articles are very simple, just a little unclarified. The only suggestion I have is that you add a little instruction to the attached image. Granted, you will want to reword it, but I think that Pending Review and Working is confusing to some people. It used to be to me.PeejAvery at 2007-11-10 3:35:33 >
# 2 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
I have 2 major issues ( at least for me ), which I'd like to comment on.Issue 1 - Adding Images
When dealing with quite a large article, with a lot of pictures ( for argument's sake, let's presume I want to add 10 Pictures ); I've found it very time consuming to add all of them. My internet cap, is not much, and there are a lot of people in the company, so I'm limited to x amount of space / time that I can use.
The whole issue is that I have to add each picture one by one, and the Article gets updated after each. Can't it be that we can add all the necessary pictures, in one go
Issue 2 - Non Descriptive Error Messages
These error messages are quite confusing. For example, if I add the Source code in Zip format, and the Zip file's size is bigger than 500 KB, it returns an error stating that the "file must be in zip format". Another example would be, if I perhaps include a space in the zip file's name ( IOW. If I enter WallPaper Changer.zip, instead of WallpaperChanger.zip ), I get the same error message : "file must be in zip format". When I remove the space, everything is fine and dandy :confused:
HanneSThEGreaT at 2007-11-10 3:36:33 >
# 3 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
What would be helpful would be having the ability to edit an article without having to resubmit it.Arjay at 2007-11-10 3:37:40 >
# 4 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
Hannes - Thanks for mentioning the error message (esp zips) and file upload issues. Those are already on the list as important issues to fix.Arjay -
Edit without resubmit - do you mean changes should automatically be resubmitted each time a change is made? There are some people that make a number of small updates and then submit them all at once. You see that being less valuable than simply forcing updates to be automatically submitted?
Thanks for the comments and suggestions everyone!
Brad!
Brad Jones at 2007-11-10 3:38:43 >
# 5 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
How about having a section for history of changes, so when updating an article, people would have to fill in this section and it keeps appending to a list with the date of update and a description of the changes in the update ?kirants at 2007-11-10 3:39:41 >
# 6 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
Arjay - Edit without resubmit - do you mean changes should automatically be resubmitted each time a change is made? There are some people that make a number of small updates and then submit them all at once. You see that being less valuable than simply forcing updates to be automatically submitted?I guess I find the interface a bit confusing. Perhaps I'm not using it correctly and maybe I don't understand that if I edit every article it needs to be resubmitted and reviewed?
Okay here's what I find confusing. Say I've written a multpart article and need to update the links in Part I to point to the Part II article (which wasn't around when Part I was published).
Since I am terrible at Html, I need to look at the link code in Part II to modify it and insert it into the Part I article. I go to myArticles and check out Part II. Open it up and grab what I need (to insert into Part I).
Now myArticles shows the following (see the screenshot).
I don't know what to do to 'uncheck out' the Part II article. Do I click on the 'Delete' link? If so, that kind of scares me. It makes me think that the whole article will become deleted. That's not what I want.
Arjay at 2007-11-10 3:40:38 >
# 7 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
As I understand you Arjay, you want to complete the update of Part II.This is what you should do.
Open your My Articles page.
Go to the artcile you'd like to edit ( change ), and click edit
Continue through the pages which inform you that the article was checked out ( click Continue )
It should open up the "codes" for your article, and add your necessary links and info.
Once all the changes are done, you must click submit for posting again.
This will put the article in the "Not Published - Pending Review" section of your My Articles page.
It doesn't get reviewed again when you made an update, but it does get checked by the editor ( to make sure all the old formatting & stuff is still in tact ), then it gets published at the same location again.
Having an article in the "Not Published - Working" section, of My articles, means that, you haven't clicked Submit for posting and the article won't be updated.
So what you need to do, is to click edit next to Update of Simple Thread Part II, make sure all your new changes are still there, and then, once your happy, you click Submit for Posting
Wow, what a mouthfull! But I hope it sheds more light on your issue :)
HanneSThEGreaT at 2007-11-10 3:41:42 >
# 8 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
What can I do if I want to cancel the update? In other words, I opened the article, but have decided not to make any changes. Since the article hasn't changed, does it really need to get submitted and checked by an editor?Arjay at 2007-11-10 3:42:48 >
# 9 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
What can I do if I want to cancel the update? In other words, I opened the article, but have decided not to make any changes. Since the article hasn't changed, does it really need to get submitted and checked by an editor?If you delete the update that is listed (but not submitted), then it should remove just the update copy and not the original.
Susan or I can verify this.
Brad!
Brad Jones at 2007-11-10 3:43:45 >
# 10 Re: Suggestions for improving the article submissions
If you delete the update that is listed (but not submitted), then it should remove just the update copy and not the original.Susan or I can verify this.
Brad!Thanks Brad.
Arjay at 2007-11-10 3:44:43 >
