K.Mandla
January 24th, 2008, 08:53 PM
The Tutorials and Tips section of the forum differs from other areas, because threads posted here must first be approved by the staff.
On January 23, 2008, the Forum Council (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ForumCouncil) approved a new set of criteria for tutorials. This thread explains those criteria and how threads are admitted to this section.
Before posting in this area you should read this thread thoroughly, and make sure your submission is acceptable before it is reviewed.
CRITERIA
Tutorials must adhere to the forum Code of Conduct.
This should go without saying, but no tutorial will be approved if the tone is condescending or otherwise contravenes forum policy.
Tutorials should be written to the level of a complete Linux newcomer.
Please do not assume that your reader understands how to compile source code, or which dependencies are necessary to get started. Make sure you mention all the steps required to finish the tutorial, and don't assume your reader will have information you omitted.
Tutorials should be easy to read and follow.
A good tutorial is educational and visually appealing. Include proper code boxes, highlighted instructions and clean spacing, along with screenshots if possible. Tutorials that are difficult to follow, haphazard or unformatted will not be admitted.
Tutorials should be written in clear and proper English.
In a situation where you are giving instructions to another user, it is important to be as clear as possible. If a tutorial is difficult to understand, or uses broken English or slang (that includes leet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet), or anything that resembles it), it will not be included.
Tutorials should be complete, from start to finish.
A tutorial that closes with "I'll post more on that later" will not be admitted, and neither will tutorials that suggest reading other pages to complete a task.
Tutorials should cite sources, and link to offsite sources if possible.
If you are borrowing an idea or a procedure from another source, you should give credit to that author and link to their explanation. This is not only polite, but it also gives the reader the chance to get more information or help.
Tutorials may not be copy-and-pasted from outside sources.
Copying a wiki page or a tutorial from another forum and pasting it here is plagiarism, and is a violation of the forum Code of Conduct. If your tutorial has been stolen from another source and you do not offer credit to the original author or meet the author's licensing requirements, it will be deleted.
Tutorials should explain how they were tested, and under what conditions.
It is impossible for the forum staff to screen each tutorial on technical merit. For that reason, you should include as much information as possible on how your tutorial was tested -- that includes hardware and software, as well as the release edition or any other technical points you can offer.
Tutorials should explain how to revert changes.
Your explanation should include a process for reversing the changes, uninstalling the software or otherwise restoring the original condition of a system. This is an added precaution in the case that your method doesn't succeed, and a reader is left with an incomplete system or broken package.
Tutorials should be supported.
You are expected to offer support for your tutorial, within practical limits. If the staff isn't convinced that you will be available to answer questions or make changes or updates to your tutorial, it runs the risk of being omitted.
The following items are not considered as tutorials.
Posts that contain only links to offsite pages or blog posts. To be admitted, the tutorial must be a single, complete on-site post. Files or packages can be hosted offsite, but a tutorial must include all the pertinent information here, on the forums.
Posts that contain only downloadable scripts or debs. You are free to offer packages or scripts as part of your tutorial, but a script alone or a compiled package by itself does not constitute a tutorial. Threads like this will be moved to other areas.
In the case that a thread is not accepted into this section, it will be moved to an appropriate area. Refused tutorials are not deleted or jailed, unless they are duplicates or violate forum policy.
If you have a question about these criteria or would like a clarification, please post a thread in Forum Feedback and Help (http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=48), and a staff member will assist you. Thanks.
On January 23, 2008, the Forum Council (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ForumCouncil) approved a new set of criteria for tutorials. This thread explains those criteria and how threads are admitted to this section.
Before posting in this area you should read this thread thoroughly, and make sure your submission is acceptable before it is reviewed.
CRITERIA
Tutorials must adhere to the forum Code of Conduct.
This should go without saying, but no tutorial will be approved if the tone is condescending or otherwise contravenes forum policy.
Tutorials should be written to the level of a complete Linux newcomer.
Please do not assume that your reader understands how to compile source code, or which dependencies are necessary to get started. Make sure you mention all the steps required to finish the tutorial, and don't assume your reader will have information you omitted.
Tutorials should be easy to read and follow.
A good tutorial is educational and visually appealing. Include proper code boxes, highlighted instructions and clean spacing, along with screenshots if possible. Tutorials that are difficult to follow, haphazard or unformatted will not be admitted.
Tutorials should be written in clear and proper English.
In a situation where you are giving instructions to another user, it is important to be as clear as possible. If a tutorial is difficult to understand, or uses broken English or slang (that includes leet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet), or anything that resembles it), it will not be included.
Tutorials should be complete, from start to finish.
A tutorial that closes with "I'll post more on that later" will not be admitted, and neither will tutorials that suggest reading other pages to complete a task.
Tutorials should cite sources, and link to offsite sources if possible.
If you are borrowing an idea or a procedure from another source, you should give credit to that author and link to their explanation. This is not only polite, but it also gives the reader the chance to get more information or help.
Tutorials may not be copy-and-pasted from outside sources.
Copying a wiki page or a tutorial from another forum and pasting it here is plagiarism, and is a violation of the forum Code of Conduct. If your tutorial has been stolen from another source and you do not offer credit to the original author or meet the author's licensing requirements, it will be deleted.
Tutorials should explain how they were tested, and under what conditions.
It is impossible for the forum staff to screen each tutorial on technical merit. For that reason, you should include as much information as possible on how your tutorial was tested -- that includes hardware and software, as well as the release edition or any other technical points you can offer.
Tutorials should explain how to revert changes.
Your explanation should include a process for reversing the changes, uninstalling the software or otherwise restoring the original condition of a system. This is an added precaution in the case that your method doesn't succeed, and a reader is left with an incomplete system or broken package.
Tutorials should be supported.
You are expected to offer support for your tutorial, within practical limits. If the staff isn't convinced that you will be available to answer questions or make changes or updates to your tutorial, it runs the risk of being omitted.
The following items are not considered as tutorials.
Posts that contain only links to offsite pages or blog posts. To be admitted, the tutorial must be a single, complete on-site post. Files or packages can be hosted offsite, but a tutorial must include all the pertinent information here, on the forums.
Posts that contain only downloadable scripts or debs. You are free to offer packages or scripts as part of your tutorial, but a script alone or a compiled package by itself does not constitute a tutorial. Threads like this will be moved to other areas.
In the case that a thread is not accepted into this section, it will be moved to an appropriate area. Refused tutorials are not deleted or jailed, unless they are duplicates or violate forum policy.
If you have a question about these criteria or would like a clarification, please post a thread in Forum Feedback and Help (http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=48), and a staff member will assist you. Thanks.