Docs Project meeting 20080709 Seneca technical communications collaboration

Agenda

 * 1) Introductions
 * 2) What each group needs, what each can provide
 * 3) Timeline to be ready for the Fall
 * 4) Specific actions

Attendees

 * Chris Tyler
 * Beth Agnew
 * Karsten Wade

Seneca needs

 * Academic -- rich learning experience
 * Access -- specs, requirements

Seneca provides

 * 20 students average sized class
 * Three four-month semesters (Fall, Winter, Spring?)
 * First four months is intro to tech comms
 * Ready to dive-in within a few weeks, experential learning encouraged
 * Tech comms across many sectors - software, manufacturing, pharma, etc.
 * Jan - Apr == co-op work term
 * In the past has mainly been direct work hire/internship programs with employers
 * Some students have done self-directed with-in open source projects
 * Final Summer semester
 * Advanced tools (Framemaker, Photoshop, etc.)

Fedora needs

 * Passionate people with enough time
 * Bring skills, learn skills
 * Technical communications practices and rigor
 * Help set the culture within Fedora so we are not anwering, "Why does content management matter?"
 * More complete documents
 * Maintainable over time by "anyone"

Fedora Provides

 * Experience with open tools
 * Inkscape, Gimp, DocBook, wiki, SCM, etc.
 * Open collaboration experience
 * Lots of niches
 * Modular areas to work in
 * Small to large projects and scope

Plans

 * Match program timing
 * Fall -- Introduce people to Fedora, how to communicate, and begin editing in e.g. wiki, begin to pick what co-op work time is going to encompass
 * Winter -- Start on the deep-dive co-op work
 * Spring -- Advanced tool training with other Fedorans (XML, Inkscape, etc.)

Fedora Actions

 * List of things to work on
 * Getting started in Fedora content check
 * Ref. Seneca wiki on that
 * Documentation specific
 * Passion first, role second

Timeline

 * Initial plan by July
 * Review through August
 * Classes start in September