Chapter 4. Finding Help in the WordPress Support System
IN THIS CHAPTER
Using the WordPress Codex
Staying in the loop with mailing lists
Finding help in the WordPress support forums
When it comes to open source software, documentation and support are often the biggest make-or-break aspects in how much usage the software gets. Because there is no predefined rule or convention in how open source software is created, documented, or publicly released, well-documented software has a distinct advantage over relatively undocumented software.
The ultimate question for new user adoption is, "How easy is the software to understand out of the box?" Many users don't want to try installing something just to find that out. Call it a time issue or fear of the unknown. Whatever it is, if they can go to a Web site and find a wiki or support forum that spells out requirements, thorough documentation (including installation information), and an ample amount of tutorial material, the software stands to have a strong success rate. If this documentation and related tutorials are easy to find, then even better!
Note
Wikis are extremely powerful pieces of software. They are collaborative, browser-based applications that enable anyone to add, delete, or modify an existing page. They are popular in open source documentation because it allows community contribution. The most famous wiki is Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org).
Fortunately, WordPress has an enormous community providing assistance and documentation on official ...
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