Documentation

=Documentation= toc

People interested in the topic

 * Daniel Nüst (d.nuest@52north.org)

General considerations
We should provide documentation for different user groups, or levels:
 * User: a person who buys and egg and wants to see information
 * Maker: a person who builds sensors and must now about voltages, specs, ...
 * Developer: a person who builds application and must now about how to use cosm, how to find our data, data formats, metadata, ...

This also implies different levels of concreteness and also different technologies, for example: A user must have a 5 step guid as a PDF that he can print or a simple website, whereas a maker needs a forum to discuss ideas and developers require up-to-date information in a Wiki.

User

 * How can I deploy the sensor in a useful way? What are sensible placements?
 * How can I attach it to my wall or window?
 * What power plugs must I provide?
 * How can I connect it to cosm?
 * Where is my data online?

This user might even be in two completely different situations: thinking about buying an egg and wondering if he can actually use it, and having bought an egg an now needing to install it.

Maker
Information from wiki that is consistent with the version he has at home, derived from pages such as Hardware-Sensors, Application-Interface, or Industrial Design.

Developer
...

User
A regular user requires simple step-by-step guides and clear wording, pictures and good infographics. This information should be regular web pages (not asking for contributions as in a wiki) the could be exported easily to PDFs for printing them out to take them outside on to the ladder while drilling holes into your house's wall.

Maker
A maker accepts if things are not polished, but in return he also is willing to contribute and interested to communicate with other makers, so a forum and/or wiki to discuss are useful platforms for these users.

Developer
Good documentation that is always up to date > a wiki.