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Author Topic: Please update the Wiki  (Read 3501 times)

fredphoesh

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Please update the Wiki
« on: August 16, 2010, 09:31:11 am »

Hello guys

Its tough already trying to wrap my head around some key concepts here, but then to fight against the quantity of inaccurate info on the Wiki is exhausting.

Please could you get some of the senior guys here to read through it and straighten it out... even as a newbie here ive seen several outdated bits in 10 mins of reading about the "View Schemes"

http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/View_Schemes

Thanks!

Mark.
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glynor

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2010, 04:19:05 pm »

Yeah... I wrote that View Schemes page, and it is quite outdated.  Unfortunately, I only have so much free time to spend on free tech support for others...
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gappie

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2010, 04:45:46 pm »

the forum is an easy medium to post in and edit some info, the wiki is hell to edit, reminds me more of some linux based platform where people at the end are proud they got it to work (im not pissing on linux here, but it looks very much like a central website system for a uni i did some work for). try editing the mcc commands page just for fun (everybody can do it) and you understand what i talk about. i like to share what i know about mc and learn about it. the forum is the place for me.

 :)
gab
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JimH

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2010, 04:48:04 pm »

I don't think it's that bad.  It takes a little time to get used to the syntax, but some of it is easier.
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gappie

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2010, 05:11:38 pm »

I don't think it's that bad.  It takes a little time to get used to the syntax, but some of it is easier.

:) besides that im already learning spanish atm which has a very different syntax then dutch, as you know  8) . one can only learn so much syntaxes at the same time. its the fact that you need to know a syntax, and when you don't you have to open some search or help files to get it right, that takes the attention away of what you where trying to do, have to switch to an other page to see if you succeeded and have to go through some anti spam loops to save and go on, any free html editors do a better job. WYSIWYG (that is the term,right ?) or some colouring, the wiki is like making a webpage in notepad

the forum is good, as far as forums go.. for me that is...

 :)
gab
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marko

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2010, 12:52:57 am »

Hola gappie :)

(I learned that from watching "Handy Manny" on cable TV with my Granddaughter!!)

They say "vaminos" a lot too, but I forget what that means, "hurry up" I think :)
Many years ago, I was pretty competent with Welsh but forget most of it now. Bet it wouldn't take me long to pick it up again though...
-marko.

marko

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2010, 01:01:21 am »

Jim, getting back on-topic (kind of), can you have a look at the "hover text" as described here:--> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext#Templates_and_transcluding_pages

This doesn't work on the jriver wiki (or at least, I can't get it to work), does a template need to be installed first, and if so, would you consider installing it?

-marko

glynor

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2010, 01:31:30 am »

There are a bunch of templates that would be nice to have working.  The Mbox/Ambox Template family would be great as well.

It is really too bad that no one makes a good "wikipedia-based" package of templates for easy MediaWiki installation.  Templates can REALLY improve the ease of editing and human readability of the WikiText.  But importing them from sources like Wikipedia can be an arcane art, and then some of them shift over time as new capabilities and features are added.
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jmone

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2010, 02:13:54 am »

Documentation is a tough one for a setup like JRiver.  I remember when I first arrived I was frustrated and not finding any quality documentation so feel for these new users when they ask for the same, or point out the current shortfalls.  There really are only three options and all have a downside:
1) Jim's "anyone can update the wiki approach" = a hotchpotch of stuff that we have all added or modified over time.  You get the current state of incomplete and outdated material
2) JR does it as a core activity:
   2a)  Get the existing JR folk to do it.... & we all know how much devs like doco + we end up with less development time on MC or
   2b)  Add a tech writer resources = extra expense that would need to be added to lic costs etc

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jmone

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2010, 02:18:36 am »

Also while we are one things that need updating, the "Skins and Plugins" page does not even have a MC15 options!  http://accessories.jrmediacenter.com/mediacenter/accessories.php
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bob

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #10 on: August 19, 2010, 05:01:13 pm »

Also while we are one things that need updating, the "Skins and Plugins" page does not even have a MC15 options!  http://accessories.jrmediacenter.com/mediacenter/accessories.php

Yeh,
Thanks mate! It does now :)
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Alex B

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #11 on: August 19, 2010, 05:20:35 pm »

You may want to remove the track info plug-ins that try to run embedded visualizations from the MC15 category.

Quote from: Matt
I should add a disclaimer that embedding 2D visualizations in Track Info pages is no longer possible.

IE can show COM controls and 2D visualizations used to be a COM control.

Now visualizations are C++ interfaces like all other plugins (except interface plugins).  There is no easy way to inject a C++ interface into IE, without making a COM wrapper.  Even then, piping the data (since Media Center didn't create the interface directly) is difficult.

Hopefully this won't be too big a deal to anyone.

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=58891

EDIT

and also Input Plug-ins > WavPack  (MC14 & MC15 have built-in WavPack decoding support)

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nwboater

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2010, 08:23:07 am »

Documentation is a tough one for a setup like JRiver.  I remember when I first arrived I was frustrated and not finding any quality documentation so feel for these new users when they ask for the same, or point out the current shortfalls.  There really are only three options and all have a downside:
1) Jim's "anyone can update the wiki approach" = a hotchpotch of stuff that we have all added or modified over time.  You get the current state of incomplete and outdated material
2) JR does it as a core activity:
   2a)  Get the existing JR folk to do it.... & we all know how much devs like doco + we end up with less development time on MC or
   2b)  Add a tech writer resources = extra expense that would need to be added to lic costs etc

I wonder If JRiver has analyzed what it would add to the product cost to do 2b)? And the more difficult one to determine: The additional userbase retention as a result of less frustration?

Rod
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JimH

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2010, 08:52:27 am »

A full time tech writer is not going to happen.  I don't believe it would have any effect on sales.

Frustration is about many things, the least of which is usually the documentation.  Viruses, virus programs, faulty device drivers, faulty hardware, basic Windows knowledge, etc.
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bob

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2010, 10:43:54 am »

You may want to remove the track info plug-ins that try to run embedded visualizations from the MC15 category.

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=58891
I've started removing those, thanks...
Quote
and also Input Plug-ins > WavPack  (MC14 & MC15 have built-in WavPack decoding support)
got it, and added the info to audio formats in the wiki.
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gappie

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #15 on: August 22, 2010, 08:29:51 am »

took care of my child.. :P

would it not be an idea to add a small chapter (at the end of the page?) to some/many of the pages with a short description and a link to a thread in the forum that gives some detail info, problems or other help on a (part) of the info at hand. that would make the two, forum and wiki, go nicely hand in hand.

 :)
gab
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JimH

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #16 on: August 22, 2010, 11:13:50 am »

took care of my child.. :P
http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Media_Center_Core_Commands

Thank you.

I agree about forum links.  I often add them at the end under "More Information" or similar.
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nwboater

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #17 on: August 22, 2010, 02:08:30 pm »

I would like to cite an example of frustration with MC documentation that just happened.

First I should explain that although I have used MC for quite awhile, I have just used the standard views, with about 2 or 3 exceptions of those I have installed with detailed help from others. Same goes for playlists, etc. So in this area I am a total newbie.

I decided I wanted to make a playlist in Audio. At that time I realized for what I wanted I need multiple genres, which for my level of experience gets complicated. But while researching this, and at other times browsing the forums, I came across the term 'Keyword'. That term gets a lot of usage. So I decided to go to the Wiki and look it up. Well by doing a search I could not find any kind of definition of keyword. I could not find a simple application of its usage. I found several instances of the term buried in what to me were complex applications.

I have had similar problems several times in the past which is probably why I haven't evolved further in my usage of MC. Now I am a long time computer user, and I believe I have more patience than a lot of people. I also don't believe I am alone in this difficulty of learning many of the finer point of the program. Most of the Forum members are what I would call advanced users, but they must be a very small portion of the MC user base.

I have great reservations in posting this. Similar statements by others have been very shot down in the past. I thought I'd try it one time here, and if this not well received I'll just forget about it all.

Thanks for listening.
Rod

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JimH

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2010, 02:25:53 pm »

A keyword is just a tag.  You can tag any file with any word: red, blue, green, etc.

A playlist might involve keywords, but you can build a playlist by choosing "Build Playlist" in the Action Window.  The Wiki has more info.
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gappie

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #19 on: August 22, 2010, 03:07:16 pm »

I decided I wanted to make a playlist in Audio. At that time I realized for what I wanted I need multiple genres, which for my level of experience gets complicated. But while researching this, and at other times browsing the forums, I came across the term 'Keyword'. That term gets a lot of usage. So I decided to go to the Wiki and look it up. Well by doing a search I could not find any kind of definition of keyword. I could not find a simple application of its usage. I found several instances of the term buried in what to me were complex applications.

cant comment on the other part of your post. but when you want to accomplish something like that and you get stuck, i think its an idea to post a thread with a good description of what you want and where you got stuck.. there are some people here who really enjoy puzzles like that.. some like like sudoku others...

 :)
gab
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nwboater

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Re: Please update the Wiki
« Reply #20 on: August 22, 2010, 03:21:58 pm »

cant comment on the other part of your post. but when you want to accomplish something like that and you get stuck, i think its an idea to post a thread with a good description of what you want and where you got stuck.. there are some people here who really enjoy puzzles like that.. some like like sudoku others...

 :)
gab

Thanks gab. I have asked for help many times on this forum and always gotten extremely good help. I really appreciate all of you who so freely offer assistance!

I'm one of those that believes in RTFM before asking for help, and I usually do. So I have many times gone to the WIKI for help and have only gotten frustrated. That was the real point of my post.

Rod
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