Thanks to everyone who participated in the workshops that we put together for article titles and descriptions. Now that we all know what we are trying to accomplish, it's time to put this into action!
We've compiled a list of our existing articles and the proposed new article names. We'd like everyone to look at the list and make any suggestions they have before Monday the 14th. The articles listed in blue are the ones suggested by Susan and Bram. After those, you'll see the rest of the articles in the KB listed by page views. Some of them might not have new titles. Feel free to add a comment if you think the article NEEDS a new title. Just add a column to the Google doc with your name and any comments or suggestion you have for the proposed document title. Follow the best practices outlined by Verdi if you have anything to add!
Thanks to everyone who participated in the workshops that we put together for article titles and descriptions. Now that we all know what we are trying to accomplish, it's time to put this into action!
We've compiled a list of our existing articles and the proposed new article names. We'd like everyone to look at the list and make any suggestions they have before Monday the 14th. The articles listed in blue are the ones suggested by Susan and Bram. After those, you'll see the rest of the articles in the KB listed by page views. Some of them might not have new titles. Feel free to add a comment if you think the article NEEDS a new title. Just add a column to the Google doc with your name and any comments or suggestion you have for the proposed document title. Follow [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/knowledge-base-articles/708310?last=46505 the best practices outlined by Verdi] if you have anything to add!
Anyone with feedback should be able to edit the doc:
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0As9VuEypdkTwdGh6czVYWGlaNWlteGQ0Skd0dWFQNWc SUMO KB Article Titles]
Let me know if you have any questions or issues!
Matt
I don't have a specific comment on any of the suggested new article titles, just a general one: Some of the proposed new titles are too long and will make it harder for forum helpers to link to them. For example:
I understand that you want descriptive article names so that Firefox users with questions can search or browse for the answer (or have it come up in the AAQ flow) and just click through to the solution. Problem is, (I think) many people who post a question don't want to find their own solution. They want to ask a question and have someone from Mozilla support tell them the answer.
Maybe the mass KB article rename can be postponed until a "Canned responses" system can be set up, so that forum helpers can have an easy way to find the new articles? Related thread: /forums/contributors/708347
If that's not possible then forum helpers will need to do their own search or go through a list of KB articles, such as the Most Visited list (suggested in Answering questions on the Support Forum) or the alphabetized list of troubleshooting or how to articles to find the KB article that answers the question. Many forum helpers currently know the names of popular articles from memory.
P.S. I know that old titles will redirect to the renamed article but I'm thinking down the line, for future forum helpers who don't know the old KB article name.
I don't have a specific comment on any of the suggested new article titles, just a general one: Some of the proposed new titles are too long and will make it harder for forum helpers to link to them. For example:
current: [[Basic Troubleshooting]]
proposed: '''Firefox doesn’t work properly, Find out how to correct the most common causes'''
current: [[Options window - Content panel]]
proposed: '''Content settings for fonts, languages, pop-up, imagees, and JavaScript'''
current: [[Profiles]]
proposed: '''Profiles store your Bookmarks, Passwords, and other preferences in case something goes wrong with Firefox'''
current: [[Session Restore]]
proposed: '''Restore previous session - Show your most recent tabs and windows when Firefox starts'''
I understand that you want descriptive article names so that Firefox users with questions can search or browse for the answer (or have it come up in the AAQ flow) and just click through to the solution. Problem is, (I think) many people who post a question don't want to find their own solution. They want to ask a question and have someone from Mozilla support tell them the answer.
Maybe the mass KB article rename can be postponed until a "Canned responses" system can be set up, so that forum helpers can have an easy way to find the new articles? Related thread: [/forums/contributors/708347]
If that's not possible then forum helpers will need to do their own search or go through a list of KB articles, such as the [/contributors/most-visited Most Visited] list (suggested in [[Answering questions on the Support Forum]]) or the alphabetized list of [/kb/category/10 troubleshooting] or [/kb/category/20 how to] articles to find the KB article that answers the question. Many forum helpers currently know the names of popular articles from memory.
P.S. I know that old titles will redirect to the renamed article but I'm thinking down the line, for future forum helpers who don't know the old KB article name.
OK, after I figured out how to add a new column, I did go and make some comments on a few proposed titles.on the Google doc.
OK, after I figured out how to add a new column, I did go and make some comments on a few proposed titles.on the [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0As9VuEypdkTwdGh6czVYWGlaNWlteGQ0Skd0dWFQNWc Google doc].
I don't have a specific comment on any of the suggested new article titles, just a general one: Some of the proposed new titles are too long and will make it harder for forum helpers to link to them.
I definitely see your point Alice. We need to be more descriptive when we name our articles. This is something that was very apparent in the IA investigations. That does make the titles longer, which is unfortunate. If you can find more concise ways to say the same descriptive things, please let us know!
As for making it harder for forum helpers to link, I think it won't be that much more difficult with the tool that Tobbi created?
Thanks to Alice and Tyler for the input! This is great stuff guys!
''AliceWyman [[#post-46704|said]]''
<blockquote>
I don't have a specific comment on any of the suggested new article titles, just a general one: Some of the proposed new titles are too long and will make it harder for forum helpers to link to them.
</blockquote>
I definitely see your point Alice. We need to be more descriptive when we name our articles. This is something that was very apparent in the IA investigations. That does make the titles longer, which is unfortunate. If you can find more concise ways to say the same descriptive things, please let us know!
As for making it harder for forum helpers to link, I think it won't be that much more difficult with the tool that Tobbi created?
As for making it harder for forum helpers to link, I think it won't be that much more difficult with the tool that Tobbi created?
You mean the new "Insert a link" tool in the forum Post a Reply box? I had forgotten about that (Answering questions on the Support Forum needs updating!). That makes it easier to find articles, though not as easy as remembering their names.
''Matt_G [[#post-46710|said]]''
<blockquote>
As for making it harder for forum helpers to link, I think it won't be that much more difficult with the tool that Tobbi created?
</blockquote>
You mean the new "Insert a link" tool in the forum Post a Reply box? I had forgotten about that ([[Answering questions on the Support Forum]] needs updating!). That makes it easier to find articles, though not as easy as remembering their names.
Sorry, recent personal problems have led me to miss the discussion totally.
I wish to know if you really think that this change could be applied also to locales.
Thanks in advance. :-)
Sorry, recent personal problems have led me to miss the discussion totally.
I wish to know if you really think that this change could be applied also to locales.
Thanks in advance. :-)
Sorry, recent personal problems have led me to miss the discussion totally.
I wish to know if you really think that this change could be applied also to locales.
Thanks in advance. :-)
Yes it should be beneficial for locales to use some version of the new titles. The new titles should make it easier for people to know that they've found the right article and it will make the articles show up better in search (on sumo and google). Here are the guidelines we're working from - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/knowledge-base-articles/708310?last=46505&page=2#post-46505
Of course there may be things that you'll need to change to make them work in Italian.
''underpass [[#post-46732|said]]''
<blockquote>
Sorry, recent personal problems have led me to miss the discussion totally.
I wish to know if you really think that this change could be applied also to locales.
Thanks in advance. :-)
</blockquote>
Yes it should be beneficial for locales to use some version of the new titles. The new titles should make it easier for people to know that they've found the right article and it will make the articles show up better in search (on sumo and google). Here are the guidelines we're working from - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/knowledge-base-articles/708310?last=46505&page=2#post-46505
Of course there may be things that you'll need to change to make them work in Italian.
The new titles should make it easier for people to know that they've found the right article and it will make the articles show up better in search (on sumo and google). Here are the guidelines we're working from - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/knowledge-base-articles/708310?last=46505&page=2#post-46505
Of course there may be things that you'll need to change to make them work in Italian.
''Verdi [[#post-46753|said]]''
<blockquote>
The new titles should make it easier for people to know that they've found the right article and it will make the articles show up better in search (on sumo and google). Here are the guidelines we're working from - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/knowledge-base-articles/708310?last=46505&page=2#post-46505
Of course there may be things that you'll need to change to make them work in Italian.
</blockquote>
We should update [[How to write Knowledge Base articles]] under '''Picking a good title'''.
Alice, the problem is that in the most cases, for Italian documentation standards it makes little sense. We already chose a line to adapt titles for Italian documentation standards - Italian KB titles often have been different from English one. We also insert other keywords to make articles easier to find.
Just to remember that localization is diffent from translation.
So, if this is a sort of advice, then OK: as usual we will look at English titles then we could decide to follow the path or not. If this is, instead, is to be taken as mandatory, then I think we should discuss this a little more.
Bye and thanks for the answer.
Alice, the problem is that in the most cases, for Italian documentation standards it makes little sense. We already chose a line to adapt titles for Italian documentation standards - Italian KB titles often have been different from English one. We also insert other keywords to make articles easier to find.
Just to remember that localization is diffent from translation.
So, if this is a sort of advice, then OK: as usual we will look at English titles then we could decide to follow the path or not. If this is, instead, is to be taken as mandatory, then I think we should discuss this a little more.
Bye and thanks for the answer.
Alice, the problem is that in the most cases, for Italian documentation standards it makes little sense. We already chose a line to adapt titles for Italian documentation standards - Italian KB titles often have been different from English one. We also insert other keywords to make articles easier to find.
Just to remember that localization is diffent from translation.
So, if this is a sort of advice, then OK: as usual we will look at English titles then we could decide to follow the path or not. If this is, instead, is to be taken as mandatory, then I think we should discuss this a little more.
Bye and thanks for the answer.
''underpass [[#post-46760|said]]''
<blockquote>
Alice, the problem is that in the most cases, for Italian documentation standards it makes little sense. We already chose a line to adapt titles for Italian documentation standards - Italian KB titles often have been different from English one. We also insert other keywords to make articles easier to find.
Just to remember that localization is diffent from translation.
<br><br>
So, if this is a sort of advice, then OK: as usual we will look at English titles then we could decide to follow the path or not. If this is, instead, is to be taken as mandatory, then I think we should discuss this a little more.
Bye and thanks for the answer.
</blockquote>
'''underpass,''' <br>I don't understand what makes little sense. Did you mean to reply to Michael Verdi? My last comment was about needing to update the '''Picking a good title''' section of [[How to write Knowledge Base articles]] based on Michael Verdi's new guidelines at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/knowledge-base-articles/708310?last=46505&page=2#post-46505
Just to remember that localization is diffent from translation.
So, if this is a sort of advice, then OK: as usual we will look at English titles then we could decide to follow the path or not. If this is, instead, is to be taken as mandatory, then I think we should discuss this a little more.
You are totally right. This is just advice; not mandatory. I was just trying to point out that we're renaming articles because we have new recommendations for creating better titles. For example, we may change "Firefox crashes" to "Firefox crashes - Troubleshoot, prevent and get help fixing crashes" or "Follow troubleshooting steps to find the cause of a Firefox crash." Likewise, you might want to change "Firefox si chiude inaspettatamente" to something more verbose.
''underpass [[#post-46760|said]]''
<blockquote>
Just to remember that localization is diffent from translation.
So, if this is a sort of advice, then OK: as usual we will look at English titles then we could decide to follow the path or not. If this is, instead, is to be taken as mandatory, then I think we should discuss this a little more.
</blockquote>
You are totally right. This is just advice; not mandatory. I was just trying to point out that we're renaming articles because we have new recommendations for creating better titles. For example, we may change "Firefox crashes" to "Firefox crashes - Troubleshoot, prevent and get help fixing crashes" or "Follow troubleshooting steps to find the cause of a Firefox crash." Likewise, you might want to change "Firefox si chiude inaspettatamente" to something more verbose.
You are totally right. This is just advice; not mandatory. I was just trying to point out that we're renaming articles because we have new recommendations for creating better titles. For example, we may change "Firefox crashes" to "Firefox crashes - Troubleshoot, prevent and get help fixing crashes" or "Follow troubleshooting steps to find the cause of a Firefox crash." Likewise, you might want to change "Firefox si chiude inaspettatamente" to something more verbose.
''Verdi [[#post-46765|said]]''
<blockquote>
You are totally right. This is just advice; not mandatory. I was just trying to point out that we're renaming articles because we have new recommendations for creating better titles. For example, we may change "Firefox crashes" to "Firefox crashes - Troubleshoot, prevent and get help fixing crashes" or "Follow troubleshooting steps to find the cause of a Firefox crash." Likewise, you might want to change "Firefox si chiude inaspettatamente" to something more verbose.
</blockquote>
I think [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/descriptive descriptive] might be a better word choice than [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/verbose verbose] ;-)
''AliceWyman [[#post-46787|said]]''
<blockquote>
I think [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/descriptive descriptive] might be a better word choice than [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/verbose verbose] ;-)
</blockquote>
Doh! :\
"Location bar" in article titles has been changed to either "Address Bar" or "Awesome Bar" even though the article content may still refer to "Location bar", which can be confusing. This was brought up in one of the individual KB article forums so I started a new discussion thread with specific examples here:
"Location bar" in article titles has been changed to either "Address Bar" or "Awesome Bar" even though the article content may still refer to "Location bar", which can be confusing. This was brought up in one of the individual KB article forums so I started a new discussion thread with specific examples here:
*https://support.mozilla.org/forums/knowledge-base-articles/708466 What happened to ’Location bar’ in KB articles?
