Re: Screen Recordings...

[Joachim Noreiko <jnoreiko yahoo com>]

--- Don Scorgie <DonScorgie Blueyonder co uk> wrote:

> There was some discussion a little while ago about
> making dogtail
> scripts for automatic screenshot creation (for
> translator ease and for
> updating screenshots each release).  There is a demo
> screencast still
> available at
> http://www.gnome.org/~dscorgie/autoshot.html
> 
> There wasn't really any discussion about animations
> / screencasts
> though.  I personally think having screencasts would
> be distracting if
> they were embedded in help pages.

I agree.
And I also see problems with long-term maintainance
and translation.
Remember: everything we make has to be translated into
umpteen languages, and every time the interface
changes just a smidgen, it should be redone all over
again.
This is a big burden on a small docs team. It really
has to be worth it.

What would the videos show? Can you give some
examples?

I am of the opinion that if we have to show a video of
how to user the interface, then the interface is too
complex and needs to be improved. But I'm prepared to
be proved wrong :)

> In a similar vain / vane [1], there was some
> discussion a while ago
> about adding a "Show me..." type comment for
> instructions which would
> launch a dogtail script to open the desired
> application, go to the right
> screen and highlight the control, or show a sequence
> of steps or ...

That might be better than videos, as it's within the
interface. The next time, the user points exactly
where the auto pointer went.
There would be issues of when to relinquish control of
the pointer to resolve, but all feasible I'm sure.

> Anyway, enough pointless ramblings from me.  I think
> getting a dogtail
> script for screenshots, for 1 manual (as an
> experiment) would be a good
> first step, if that's the road you are / anyone is
> interested in taking.

Dogtail could be a huge help with the aforementioned
problems with maintainance of screenshots.


> [1] I can't decide which is the right word here. [2]
> [2] Although, writing these footnotes has actually
> taken longer than
> Googling it

It's 'vein'. :)

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