Why do the Zotero Devs not answer questions regarding (missing) updates to Documentation?

mwa2
See title - why do the devs not answer questions regarding the at points severely outdated documentation / plugins pages?

I saw multiple posts about this and they are never answered.

If it is policy by Zotero to ignore this, please let me know. But with the move to auto-updates, rapid-release etc. I think it is a relevant question that deserves SOME answer at least...

Please @dstillman or another dev who reads this, could you give us an update, or clarification on why this is?

I am asking in good faith and hope it comes across as such, but I am a bit confused why such a simple question (not just by me) is just not being answered.

Thank you for your time,
mwa2
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    If we don't respond to something, you can just assume we don't currently have anything relevant to say.

    Documentation is maintained by the core developers and trusted community members. It might not always cover new features right away, but we always write introductory posts announcing new features.

    If there's something in the documentation you think is outdated, you should be more specific.

    (If you're primarily talking about the plugin page, you can just say so. That obviously couldn't keep pace with the modern Zotero plugin ecosystem, but we plan to offer an official plugin directory to replace it. For now, we've cleared the outdated list.)
  • aborel
    edited 8 days ago
    I thought I had pointed at least one specific example, and not only on the plugin page? https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/506057#Comment_506057

    """
    https://www.zotero.org/support/plugins ? Why is an entry still displayed when it is listed as "Not yet compatible with Zotero 5.0"?

    While this is somewhat related to the plugin compatibility issue, my question is really more general: various other official web pages haven't been updated to reflect the evolution of the core Zotero software. https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/item_types_and_fields is another example, I'm sure there are more.
    """
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    item_types_and_fields is another example
    Yes, and that page was created by and has been maintained by the CSL folks, who are the experts in that area. We're not the ones who would be updating it.
  • aborel
    Thanks!
    I think that's the general problem with these pages: I for one have no idea who is is charge of which page and what is the best way to reach them.

    Would it be possible to add this type of information, so that issues can be raised more efficiently?
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 8 days ago
    The people who would update it also follow these forums.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 8 days ago
    (As a long-time contributor, you're also more than welcome to update it. Current schema is here.)
  • northword
    By the way, is it possible to migrate the documentation into a Git repository, written in Markdown, and rendered into web pages using tools such as VitePress/Rspress/Docusaurus?

    This way, community contributors can access the source files and update them through PRs.

    And, code owners can be set for the source files, and reviews will be automatically requested when a PR is open. This also allows community contributors to clearly see which parts are mainly responsible by whom, facilitating communication.
  • aborel
    Raising issues: OK, one post per issue on this forum, being as specific as possible.
    I think I can do that, thanks for the explanation, it really helps.

    "Update it": do you mean the web page? I don't think I have that power... do I?


  • sdflewrit783
    edited 8 days ago
    @northword Indeed. Many folks use Zotero in teaching, and many uni libraries end up writing their own docs. If this labor went into one place, the docs would be more polished.
  • mwa2
    Thanks @dstillman for your reply!

    I mentioned the plugins page since it was one where the issue was quite clear with some old plugins and because I didn't know whether I would get a reply.

    Thanks for the change, looking forward to the new directory!
  • adamsmith
    (I can no longer log in with my wiki account and password reset emails are either not sent or I am not getting them. I thought that was on purpose @dstillman -- can you take a look or should I email?)
  • aborel
    Trying to create a wiki account thanks to adamsmith's pointer, I guess I'm in a similar situation. I haven't received the expected password.
  • aborel
    Quick update about my tentative wiki account: no password, or reply from support@zenodo.org after 7 days.
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