JP1 help update - Site wiki?

[The Robman]

I find that question like "What's the code for ...?" hold little interest for me and take more time to answer (actually looking up stuff? Horrors!) than I am willing to devote. It's great that there are so many of you out there who do that. It keeps this forum relevant. I do remain interested in the PROCESSES of JP1 and it is in those types of areas that I tend to jump in - I prefer teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish - and in the evolution of the tools.

Totally agreed, that's why I created separate "Code Search" and "Slingbox" forums early on, so those types of questions can have their place.

[vickyg2003]

You give me too much credit for having an altruistic purpose. I put those links in my sig to try to reduce the number of questions that despite our best efforts, tempt us to say "Read the !@#$%^& readme, ferchrissake!"

When I was a returnee-newbie and having so much trouble, I thought you might be ready to say that!

I find that question like "What's the code for ...?" hold little interest for me and take more time to answer (actually looking up stuff? Horrors!)

Totally agreed, that's why I created separate "Code Search" and "Slingbox" forums early on, so those types of questions can have their place.

Yes and I am so glad Alan has the patience for the slingbox forum. I'd go nuts there! The feedback thing alone would drive me over the edge.

[Capn Trips]

Yes and I am so glad Alan has the patience for the slingbox forum. I'd go nuts there! The feedback thing alone would drive me over the edge.

I'll tell you what. Alan has set some pretty strict guidelines for himself, and I've seen the friction (albeit minor, all handled calmly, professionally, and unemotionally, with understanding) that HIS way of doing business vs. the broader forum's can cause, and I'm happy to leave him to his sandbox, because he does it SO well, (and is indeed REALLY responsive - if only PAID tech support was so ... hmmm ... supportive!)

So I limit myself to that about which I feel somewhat knowledgeable, the 15-1994, 15-2116/17, the 8910/9910/HTPro, and the Atlas OCAP 1056, extenders, and the tools (from a user-perspective).

I'll keep playing where I feel comfortable, and will continue to marvel at the folks who bring REAL expertise and developments to this cool hobby.

[The Robman]

I want to thank xnappo for doing some updates to the Wiki page, and I'd like to encourage anyone else that would like to do so too.

[The Robman]

So far only eferz and xnappo have added anything to the Wiki page? So what's the general consensus, is it worth keeping it going?

[vickyg2003]

Ms Gabby here has a lot to say on the JP1 subject, but I just don't know how to wiki. This is the first wiki I've ever seen. I don't have a vision of how the wiki needs to be organized.

I played with the Wiki a little bit, as I have some "unpublished" documentation on IRScope, but I found that my topics were still too long. So after reformatting them for the wiki I ended up abandoning my page anyway. A perfectly good waste of an afternoon.

I think if you want more participation, there needs to be an outline on the main page of the topics we need to cover.

[The Robman]

That's not how it works, I can't tell you what topics you should write about, it's up to you to decide which topics you would like to cover.

If it's the Wiki syntax that's a problem for you, you can probably find help here:
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki

Or, just go to one of the existing articles, then click on EDIT to see how it's formatted. For example, I recently copied the forum thread about 9xx commands over.

Here's the forum version:
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11675

And here's the wiki version:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/wiki/index.p ... x_Commands

[mathdon]

I've just looked at the Wiki for the first time. I thought it was supposed to be (relatively) recent info, but in the "JP1 Introduction" I found the following:

The next step is to join the JP1 group at Yahoo Groups

Um ... did anyone read this before putting it there???

[xnappo]

I've just looked at the Wiki for the first time. I thought it was supposed to be (relatively) recent info, but in the "JP1 Introduction" I found the following:

The next step is to join the JP1 group at Yahoo Groups

Um ... did anyone read this before putting it there???

I think Rob kinda threw that up as a test. While you are reading though - a review of the RM-IR 'how easy' would be appreciated. I may well have missed out-of-date info during the rewrite.

Thanks,
xnappo

[vickyg2003]

That's not how it works, I can't tell you what topics you should write about, it's up to you to decide which topics you would like to cover.

But its such a BIG topic, if someone isn't orchestrating it, isn't the end result going to be something even more difficult to use than our "thread system" here?

If you want to cut down a subject to make it readable with a browser, don't you need to know where to send the reader for more basic information?

[The Robman]

That sounds like a vote to get rid of it Vicky. Personally, while I think it would be a good idea to have the Wiki, I could go either way as far as deleting it is concerned.

[mathdon]

I don't think it has been around long enough yet to give it a fair trial. My vote would be for leaving it until it either gets more contributions or has clearly been abandoned.

[vickyg2003]

That sounds like a vote to get rid of it Vicky. Personally, while I think it would be a good idea to have the Wiki, I could go either way as far as deleting it is concerned.

Nope, that was a vote to have a plan. I'm for anything that would make getting up to speed easier. I found the initial learning curve extremely difficult (it brought me to tears). The tools are well designed and easy to use. I'd like it if the documentation was held to the same standard.

[xnappo]

That sounds like a vote to get rid of it Vicky. Personally, while I think it would be a good idea to have the Wiki, I could go either way as far as deleting it is concerned.

Nope, that was a vote to have a plan. I'm for anything that would make getting up to speed easier. I found the initial learning curve extremely difficult (it brought me to tears). The tools are well designed and easy to use. I'd like it if the documentation was held to the same standard.

Errr.. So...? Let's discuss it!

I don't really understand what you are getting at Vicky, but we can discuss in this thread what topic we would like.

Right now it has this:

Code: Select all

Manuals

    * Remote Master Manual 

Guides

    * JP1 - Just How Easy Is It? - RM-IR Version
    * Manual Programming - 9xx Commands 

Resources

    * Introduction to JP1
    * Glossary 

Which I think is a reasonable start. I definitely think this is the way to go, and certainly should not be 'deleted' just because not many people have contributed yet(should we stop using RM-IR because only Greg and Graham have contributed?)! Our 'other' documentation is quite out of date.

I think a full RM-IR 'manual' that explains what each button does (rather than the 'How Easy Is It' - which is more of a 'how' that a 'what' document would be good.

A manual and how-to for the IRwidget tools, and moving over the extender post to the Wiki and under the 'Guide' section. That would be my recommendation. So:

Code: Select all

Manuals

    * RM-IR Manual 
    * IRTool Manual

Guides

    * JP1 - Just How Easy Is It? - RM-IR Version
    * How to use IRTool
    * Extenders 
    * Manual Programming - 9xx Commands 

Resources

    * Introduction to JP1
    * Glossary

xnappo

[The Robman]

I think the main problem, for Vicky at least, is that she's not familiar with wiki's in general, so therefore doesn't know how to approach this one. Hopefully that not the case for most people, but I could be wrong.

The beauty of a wiki is that it doesn't have to start out perfect, because plenty of people will come along after you and change things. Plus, each page has a talk page where you can discuss changes if you want (though you can discuss them here too).

For starters, I would like to see all the existing help docs copied over there, even if they contain some out of date info, then we can look at fixing them up.

When you're looking at a doc on the wiki and you see something wrong, rather than ask "why is this like this?" just fix it yourself.