https://devsummit.aspirationtech.org/index.php?title=Book_Sprints_and_the_importance_of_High_Quality_Technical_Documentation&feed=atom&action=historyBook Sprints and the importance of High Quality Technical Documentation - Revision history2024-03-29T11:20:58ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.35.1https://devsummit.aspirationtech.org/index.php?title=Book_Sprints_and_the_importance_of_High_Quality_Technical_Documentation&diff=369&oldid=prevVivian: 1 revision imported2015-05-05T17:57:54Z<p>1 revision imported</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>facilitated by Adam Hyde<br />
notes taken by Ben Connelly<br />
<br />
This session explored how to do a book sprint using http://booki.cc.<br />
<br />
=Adam's Story=<br />
<br />
* Background in nonprofit traveling and training.<br />
* Six years in wireless infrastructure projects.<br />
* Started wanting to document the procedures for what he was doing, but also feeling burnt out and short on time, so wanted to do it in one week!<br />
* Started with Table of Contents for a paid technical edition<br />
* It started to take a life of its own and was eventually joined by the Linux doc project guy who developed the One Week to Done idea and added some additional tools to the project.<br />
* He has now helped manage projects to write 38 books.<br />
<br />
=First steps=<br />
<br />
* Could this be used in education? How about other fields?<br />
<br />
==Assembling the right people==<br />
<br />
* The people assembled have to have comprehensive coverage of the topic between them.<br />
* You need people who can write!<br />
* There must be a somewhat similar approach to the concepts for it to be functional.<br />
* To decide what ultimately goes in and what doesn't, somebody needs to be a good facilitator. (You might also end up leaving out topics nobody wants to write about.)<br />
<br />
==Funding models==<br />
<br />
* Will you have volunteers or paid authors? Paid illustrators?<br />
* Marketplace model (teachers paying teachers)<br />
* Print copies of Adam's books were sold via Lulu.<br />
* Ebook or print?<br />
* Booki also functions as a marketplace.<br />
* Other examples of models are sourcefabric.org and FLOSS Manuals.<br />
<br />
=Why do a book sprint?=<br />
<br />
* Why not do a mediawiki?<br />
* A T.O.C. functions like a wiki but in the structure of a book.<br />
* Tracking changes for licensing is important.<br />
* The concept of a book is different from the concept of a wiki.<br />
* A book is structured end to end, and lets you drag and drop chapters into a publishing engine.<br />
* For a single author, you don't need to work online in a browser. You can use desktop software like Scrivener (or Literature and Latte).<br />
* When you're working with multiple authors, you need a workflow system. This lets you see what's done, what's left to be done, and use project management tools.<br />
* A book sprint can download onto a USB drive, be downloaded as a PDF, and you can have a PRINT edition!<br />
* It also lets you save different editions of the same book or manual and have different translations.<br />
* It gets you over the hurdle of documenting.<br />
* Testing and continual learning are not really a part of these tools already.<br />
* Ideally, during the week of the sprint, only the people in the room have access to it.<br />
* Having the firm deadline of a week gives people a lot of motivation - the idea that at the end of the week, if it's done we can publish it. If not than we won't.<br />
* Another advantage is these books can be distributed in ways that get around internet censorship in some countries (print or physical electronic files).<br />
* You can also have proofreaders working remotely.<br />
<br />
=Conclusions=<br />
<br />
* When people think of creating a book, you assume it has to take years and lots of pain, but when you collaborate in this way, it's done in a week and is lots of fun! It's like magic how well it works!<br />
* It also shows that more and more things that were traditionally done solo can be done more effectively in collaboration.<br />
* Adam really likes the "remixability" factor that you get.<br />
* It's absolutely critical to have a facilitator that makes the project management aspects work.<br />
* Raising the bar!<br />
* Tangibility!<br />
* One thing to determine ahead of time is how copyrights will work with multiple authors.<br />
** Will the copyright for the whole book be held jointly?<br />
** Different authors hold copyrights on different chapters?<br />
** What if you're selling the book? How will the proceeds be split?<br />
* Booktype from Sourcefabric has free and open source software roots. It only works with CC or GPL type licenses.<br />
* The whole thing works because it's a democratic model.<br />
* The good news is, funders seem to like it too!</div>Vivian