Improve the Getting Started Wiki

Firstly I think the Getting started Guide needs a nicer entry page (with pictures and such), because somehow the Table of Contents feels ugly. Looks legendary otherwise..

The First Aid Guide, for starters, I think we need to change the way the first aid landing page is used. Currently, its a random list of ideas, with no connection. My idea is that this should be changed to be a table of contents to deeper links, maybe something like:
- Having problems using your device in Songbird? Click here
- Can't hear any sound, or songs wont play (or cause errors)
or etc (seems better then cramming it full of info).

A new way of organising sections might be:
====================================
8. First Aid (Frontpage/Table of Contents):
- Addons and Extensions (even though they technically aren't the same, users think of them as the same :P)
- Common Recovery Procedures (detail the generic method of fixing all problems, using safe mode, etc.).
-- Safe Mode
-- Backing Up and Restoring Your profile
-- Reset your profile
-- Manually delete profile
- Crashes and Errors
- Devices
-- Apple iPod's
-- Sansa Clip
-- MTP devices
- Further Help (Links to Get Satisfaction, IRC, etc)
- Installation troubles
- Metadata Problems
- Performance
- Playback and Sound problems (If this grows too large, we can split it into OSX, Windows, and Linux later)
- User Interface and feathers
===================================

Just my proposal... Clearly the names of sections aren't finalised, and just suggestions. The idea is that I'd like to see more pictures, more details, and make it more useful to users, and people supporting users.

*bump*

I actually would prefer the getting started pages to be as simple as possible.. Cause I don't want users to feel overwhelmed with so much information.. Just enough - but not too little - to help them understand what Songbird has to offer. I kinda like the simplicity of the First Aid page right now cause its good for troubleshooting and solves most problems with little work. The average user (unlike me :-P) prefers to just easily ask a question over spending time searching for information that already exists :-( I think those proposals that you wrote down would be good on separate sub pages (kind of hidden away) or on a new section entirely, maybe called Tutorials or Advanced Troubleshooting. And then whenever someone asks a question regarding that topic - we can just link them there (instead of repeating each other on GS). Cause I see where you are coming from(especially on ipod problems not relating directly to songbird), and I know a "how to" on copying music from your ipod to your computer would be a good one (I'm pretty sure I answered that one roughly infinity times on GS). I think it would be nice if we started those on a separate private page too.. so you can organize it around and figure out where to put it in the Getting Started pages once its complete.

Not totally related, but also thought that it might be reaching that period that Songbird features should be redesigned:
http://getsatisfaction.com/songbird/t...

I created a Getting Started Wiki improvements/additions/scratch page ;-) page under the QA>Process>Get_Satisfaction wiki page to further discuss and make changes to for now.. Most champs should have access to that section I believe, if not leave laura a shout...

Alrighty..
I just posted the things that I'm gonna try to work on before 1.4 is released:
http://wiki.songbirdnest.com/QA/Proce...

I added a new section, Device Support, under the Usage of Songbird subpages. I added it since there really is not a lot of information in the Getting Started wiki about it, and that would be a good place for the Device problems that you were talking about... That would be awesome if you wanna try to work on that.. and maybe klint can add some content to it too since he knows a lot about it/has a MSC/MTP device.

Let me think about what I can do to help you on the MSC.

Notes to myself:

First, when to use MSC instead of MTP (beyond my own reluctance for Microsoft things ;) ) - no playlist copied to MSC, high flexibility to sync with several songbird instances, manual mode, windows only, ability to play directly from device, and to have the option to keep separate library between songbird and the device.

Then some explanations about how it works

And about the issues, I have to check the one about using Songbird+MSC with a non admin account (try to reproduce it), plus something about deleting an item in the device's library in sync mode also deletes the source in the main library, and the open MSC-related bugs.

Also a word about how to define your own the SBSettings.XML, now that we have a nice example that covers OGG, MP3, FLAC and WMA if I remember correctly

One thing I haven't tried yet is transcoding.

By the way, how will the library of SBsettings.XML for various models of device by handled, describing each model's capabilities?
Will there be a central storage for that on Songbirdnest?

Oooch, that makes quite a lot.
What was the deadline for all that, again?

And also, other notes to myself, about media management and ... Tagger (don't smile, Laura and Michael, please ;) !! )

Acouple of remarks about media management:
- do no select to manage the folder that contains your current music already, as it would rename your current music files according to existing (or absent=unknown) tags
- rather, select a brand new folder to be managed: Songbird will makes COPIES of your music files in this new folder, but will leave your existing files totally untouched. You may consider your preexisting files as a backup, and removed them when you are totally confident with Songbird media management
- a warning for that has been added in 1.4
- this is a very secure way: the only prerequisite is to have both time (!) and space on your disk to temporarily double your library
- starting from them, any change you will do on your library (new files, retagging...) will be applied on the managed folder, not on your previously existing files

- Another advice: retag your files as properly as you can before activating media management.
- Anyway, if you do it AFTER, it is not too late, Songbird will rename/move the files dynamically after the new tags
- A very powerful tool to do massive and smart retagging actions is the Tagger add-on. Check it out

.

I transferred your thoughts over to the wiki, klint so you can add and build from there.

I also got the bare bones of the CD Ripping page done, so if anyone has anything to add to it, that would be awwwwesome!

Also updated the Media Management & Metadata/AlbumArt page a smidge to reflect the new changes.