[Typo3] Helping new users - was [menu item image gets cut off or truncated]

[Alex Heizer]

Vincent wrote:

>
>However, if you will notice in my posting, I was referring to my
>questions about how to use the static templates in which I never got
>a reply.  That was something that would have been a quick answer
>referring me to the correct area of documentation that ended up taking
>me days to find on my own.
>
Sadly, there are a number of very real reasons why sometimes people 
don't get a response to "simple" new user questions, although that 
doesn't make it *okay*. Lack of time, and loss of perspective as a new 
user are probably the biggest reasons. It's very easy, once you have a 
certain level of knowledge and experience, to forget what it is like to 
not have that knowledge and experience. To the experienced T3 developer, 
"of course" you use the common docs -- everybody knows to look in the 
TSref, Modern Template Building, TypoScript By Example, yadda, yadda, 
yadda... Lack of time -- well, we all know that one.

>I have seen comments indicating the community would like to know why
>typo3 is not more prevalent than it is and would like to know some of
>the reasons when users choose not to use it.  So, I offered feedback
>from a new users perspective and experiences.
>  
>
Yes, it is feedback like this that will be most helpful to new users 
trying to learn TYPO3. Over the years I have seen more times than I can 
count a new user ask a question, then respond to their own question 
several days later something like "Anyone...? Little help here...?", and 
then never post again. Where do these people go? Who knows? EZpublish? 
Drupal? *Nukes? Probably to whatever the first CMS is where they get 
answers to their questions and can get their site up and running, 
finally. With feedback like this, we can start to examine T3's weak 
points and come up with solutions that solve these issues.

Does it mean that everyone on the mailing list will now be more helpful? 
Not necessarily. But it does mean that, as it stands now, the support 
solutions we have had to date do not do the best job at meeting the 
needs of new users. There are thousands of people using TYPO3, but how 
few people on the mailing list? There are new users posting all the 
time, but very few new long-term community members as a result. I have 
even heard of one T3 forum that has around 4000 users. What are they 
getting there that they don't get from the mailing lists? What are new 
users' needs, and how do they differ from experienced users' needs? What 
are current new users' needs, and how do they differ from new users in 
the past? As TYPO3 evolves and develops, as marketplaces develop, as the 
potential userbase develops, all of our opportunities to help people and 
retain users and build a strong community develop and evolve.

Perhaps there are new solutions that extend past "people on the mailing 
list need to respond". That is such a simplistic and naive solution to 
the problem, and only leads to finger-pointing ("I asked", "you didn't 
give enough info", etc.). I talk to people all the time who are helpful, 
knowledgable, and willing to find solutions to problems. The solution we 
need will bring those with questions together with those with answers, 
be it a forum, a wiki, user groups, IM conferences, conventions, etc. In 
the past, a lot of frustrated new users just left the group. With 
feedback like this from all new users we can work towards a medium that 
will provide the necessary connections and flow of information that will 
help us all out and turn new users into experienced users.I am a firm 
believer in the notion that every problem is just an opportunity waiting 
to be solved. We should all be like Raji: "Don't be hatin'.. start 
participatin'!"  :)

Alex