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[WIKI] HELP UPDATE OUR FAQs!
#1
Question 
As apart of the revamp for the XBMC Wiki I'm putting a call out to help update our wiki FAQs. We need help compiling what questions are frequently asked. So to all the question askers and the question answerers: this here be a brainstormin' thread!

The following wiki FAQs need to be re-done. Click on an FAQ link to be taken to the discussion for that FAQ:
XBMC general FAQ (applies for all or most platforms) [THIS THREAD]
XBMC for Mac specific FAQ
XBMC for Windows specific FAQ
XBMC for Linux specific FAQ & XBMC Live specific FAQ

List the questions you come across the most or that you think people ask (or things they should ask) when it comes to XBMC in general.

Don't worry about providing answers at this point, but if you want to, or at least link to something that does, feel free to do so. List questions, or just topics, or even just talk about what you think the FAQ should and shouldn't include.

[Once we've got something to start with, then we'll work finalizing what questions to have, and then finally the answers.]
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#2
Going to list some topics-to-be-questions to get the ball rolling:

•I think this is where we should cover the most basic "how do I add my media" questions. These questions can then lead to a detailed topic page or to the quick start guide. Questions that are covered on other pages as well will basically be navigation points on the FAQ. As in, you find it on the FAQ and then the FAQ will point you to the more detailed page on the wiki. Unless it's something that can be answered in a few sentences; then it can be both.
•What formats can XBMC play? a very basic over view of the most popular formats XBMC can play with a link to the full list page
•What is the 10-foot interface concept
•What is XBMC (uh oh)
•Where can I find unofficial add-ons/skins?
•Why is my video buffering/skipping/etc
•Can I use a remote/what controls are there/something like that
•multi-part video files (probably a more advanced topic, but I see it come up a lot in the forums)
•Can I set up XBMC for more than one person?
•How do I report bugs?
•How do I request new features?
•Where can I get more help?
•How do I update the library?
•Why don't all movies/shows show up in my library? (link to naming guidelines or something)
•why does it burn?
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#3
ironically I think having this as a sticky is keeping it a bit hidden, since all the existing stickies are kind of stale. So... HI...
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#4
keymap.xml
advancedsettings.xml

semms to be quite a few questions that relate to these 2 topics.
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#5
Great...someone is pushing the wiki...let's see if there will be progress...
Will do some work in the wiki the next few days, too...

cheers,
mm
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#6
•Why does weather not work anymore?

*ducks*
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#7
Excellent, perhaps a good source for material is to simply look at the titles of the posts in the forums too see what questions people are asking each day. There are usually repeat themes.
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#8
I've been thinking about this and I think there should be two general FAQs. One FAQ for people who haven't even used XBMC yet and just want to know what it is, what the project is, what basic things XBMC can do, etc. The second would then be the platform independent FAQ for users.
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#9
Ned Scott Wrote:I've been thinking about this and I think there should be two general FAQs. One FAQ for people who haven't even used XBMC yet and just want to know what it is, what the project is, what basic things XBMC can do, etc. The second would then be the platform independent FAQ for users.

Agreed, though no offence to wiki's (and therefore xbmc's wiki) I think a lot of users dislike wiki's.

Henry fords dharma guide is very popular, I can assume as it is quite simple and a pdf.
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=99826
Ned, i see you've commented on it - perhaps have a simple guide for each release, dharma can be based on Henry Ford's guide. I think he is already working on Eden

Flirc now has a forum: forum.flirc.tv
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#10
pseudo7 Wrote:Agreed, though no offence to wiki's (and therefore xbmc's wiki) I think a lot of users dislike wiki's.

Henry fords dharma guide is very popular, I can assume as it is quite simple and a pdf.
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=99826
Ned, i see you've commented on it - perhaps have a simple guide for each release, dharma can be based on Henry Ford's guide. I think he is already working on Eden

A PDF should be optional as some kind of "quick start guide"...
wiki is quite important, because you'll never have a pdf with the amount of info in it like the wiki...

just my 2 cents...

mm
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#11
pseudo7 Wrote:Agreed, though no offence to wiki's (and therefore xbmc's wiki) I think a lot of users dislike wiki's.

Henry fords dharma guide is very popular, I can assume as it is quite simple and a pdf.
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=99826
Ned, i see you've commented on it - perhaps have a simple guide for each release, dharma can be based on Henry Ford's guide. I think he is already working on Eden

Actually Henry let us use his guide on the Wiki. I haven't finished "wiki-fying" it (kind of got distracted), but you can get a basic idea of what it looks like in wiki form here: http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Dharma_Guide

The idea being that we're exploring different formats, and looking for replacement options for new users. My idea is to have two online manuals, one for basic/new users, and one for advanced users and developers. This way one topic doesn't over-load the new guy who just needs a single setting for his advancedsettings.xml file, or something like that.

Over all the entire XBMC Wiki is going to be overhauled. Right now I've just been doing some basic technical stuff, but eventually we want to have guides that will help people edit the wiki and better construct these pages. Right now there's no real guidance on editing the pages (as in, how to make good how-to's, topical pages, etc, and how to bring it all together). Editing used to be turned off and you had to ask for access, but now anyone can edit again by registering an account on the wiki (in the long run we want to link forum and wiki accounts so you don't have to make a new one).

For Eden I want to get the various FAQs in shape (for example, see the iOS one) and make a new quick start guide, hopefully before the end of the year.

I know this thread started out just asking for feedback on the FAQs, but feel free to brainstorm/suggest/whatever for the over-all wiki. If anyone wants to help out or just throw out an idea, it would be greatly appreciated.
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#12
•Ignore video scan errors (so you don't have to press yes every time) (with answer being: http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Adv...scanner.3E )

Not sure how common that one is. I know we've seen it come up lately due to changes with scraping stuff and the occasional scrape website outage, but it could be considered Frequent enough.
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#13
Making a post to get this thread on the first page again...maybe then it is not that much lost in space...
By the way: wiki page for weather got updated ;-)

mm
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#14
Ned,

I like the look of the wiki-fied version of henry fords dharma guide... apart from the look of the wiki itself (i'm not trying to annoy you - honest!)

Little things may make more users read the wiki, this wiki looks nicer to XBMC (esp the lest hand column - a bit softer)
http://en.ekopedia.org/Main_Page

Shame I can't contribute beyond henry's guide

Flirc now has a forum: forum.flirc.tv
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#15
pseudo7 Wrote:Ned,

I like the look of the wiki-fied version of henry fords dharma guide... apart from the look of the wiki itself (i'm not trying to annoy you - honest!)

Little things may make more users read the wiki, this wiki looks nicer to XBMC (esp the lest hand column - a bit softer)
http://en.ekopedia.org/Main_Page

Shame I can't contribute beyond henry's guide

The side bar and stuff are changed in skin settings on the wiki. That skin is called Vector and is a newer default skin than Monobook (the one the XBMC wiki currently uses). It's installed now, so it's possible for individual users to switch in their own settings. I was actually thinking of making Vector the default skin on XBMC Wiki as well.
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[WIKI] HELP UPDATE OUR FAQs!3