Community Meeting Agenda 11 August 2009

Be bold! Post your agenda items!
Feel free to post on the agenda any items you wish to cover during the meeting. If your item requires details or feedback, post some details on the discussion page and link to the discussion from the agenda.

Administrative items

 * 1) Assignment of time keeper and note taker
 * 2) Introduction of new members: 10 seconds for name and desired takeaways.
 * 3) Review of Minutes
 * 4) Today's agenda preview

Information items
For details, please refer to 28 July's and 04 August's canceled user group meetings.

The Research Support Missionaries are asking for where they refer patrons who ask for help using Wiki searches and for other Wiki help questions. They answer many of the questions, but when they don't know the answers, to what resource should they turn? Jbparker 19:39, 10 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Would it not be the Forums? Thomas Lerman 19:44, 10 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes, it would be the forums, there are plenty of questions and answers there about technical issues, and 'how too' general use questions, like the searching questions mentioned. If you haven't, take a look. JamesAnderson


 * Yes, I know about the forums and the great guidance that is given there. But they are asking if there is a high-level phone-desk they can call, when they have a patron on the phone and they cannot find the answer in Wiki or forums, etc., like they can call the International desk in the Library as a last-resort on International research questions. I've already referred them to the forum, and explained how they can send in a report on something that doesn't work like they think it should (report search problem or contact us or feedback).Jbparker 03:29, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Just for your information, check out the new Infobox and Populated Places templates .... at Baker County, Oregon. Has one more template to tweak before we will finally arrive at a point where anything is possible. (Hint to Jbparker, you will love it since you tried first time.) dsammy 17:30, 11 August 2009 (UTC)


 * You're right, Dsammy. I do love it!Jbparker 19:41, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Discussion items
See links in 'Information Items' for carryovers from the canceled user group meetings.

Request string function extension through Forum. Thomas Lerman 17:04, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

Carryover from Last Week
See links in 'Information Items' for carryovers from the canceled user group meetings.

Home Page
Nice re-do on the home page. It provides straight forward direction. Would it be useful to create a Find Articles by Topic link in the box and a few links (e.g., glossary, how to use wiki, etc.) or is that too redundant given that screen space is limited? Thanks BryceFifield


 * This should not be a problem with a template similiar to one now in use for New York and Pennsylvania at the bottom, just above the Category section. dsammy 20:06, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Feedback on Glossary Format
Any suggestions on the format and layout of the Glossary? (see A A genealogical glossary terms for example of how it looks with content from FamilySearch glossary with foreign words -- note that formatting is still a work in progress). Is it unwieldy? Are there too many entries to be useful? Should foreign words be moved to a different part of glossary? Who else ought to give feedback? More thanks. BryceFifield


 * I think it would be better to put the language specific terms in separate articles like Welsh Gravestones for example. Then the purpose of the Glossary would be to include technical terms unfamiliar to a beginner. Also I think you could cut down on the file size of the pages by using the built in glossary code. For example


 * Then you could use the section headings to index the different parts of the page, for example Fa, Fe, Fi etc. --Steve 20:51, 11 August 2009 (UTC)