A printable short manual for new users (length 5-10 pages)

#1

Hello community, I’d like to get a feedback of what you think:

With V1.0 I’d enjoy to have an /e/ introduction manual for new users: A comprehensive and compact document that is printable (PDF) and written in an accessible language (length 5-10 pages).

I am aware that there’s an online manual/wifi in preparation. But I do not see this as a concurrence product rather as a kind of (additional) starter document for less tech-affine future /e/ users.

The document should include (what I have in mind for now):

  • What is /e/ / Who’s behind / What does it mean Android without Google / Intro to data security privacy in the Internet

  • Guidance through the initial installation process (including how to get an e-email address)

  • Very brief explanation of the system and its different preinstalled apps with a special focus on the ones that are particular for /e/ - such as Trust

  • Explanation of the security features of /e/ as well as the webbased side of /e/.

  • Explanation of things to keep in mind when using /e/
    – Traffic with /e/ services - if you are on a data connection this implies that photos are uploaded
    – Naming folders that are synced with the /e/ services and how to switch off specific ones.
    – How to (re)connect a device with /e/ services when it is not done in the initial setup process
    – (…)

  • Further references to the /e/ wiki (direct reference links to specific topics) to user forum and other sources for getting support (in what languages).

  • A summary that explains
    – …especially what /e/ provides and what it doesn’t (/e/ is not and cannot be a fully secure tool for phone and internet use).
    – (…)

If this document is becoming a first reference document for new users, it can contain other stuff that is of particular importance for the /e/ team…

This manual could serve for instance as a perfect self-advertisement for /e/ - as a honest and transparent product. Furthermore it could be a great place to stress how /e/ is financed and that (satisfied) users are invited to support/donate (ideally on a regular basis) or to buy a subscription.

It could be a good place as well to underline the community driven aspect of /e/ and that respectful communication is key. The latter point is something I really enjoy in all interactions with the community so far but it will probably take some efforts to maintain that once /e/ will go public.

That’s all for now, please feedback.

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/e/ ambition wrt data collection per hour for a typical day of use (Prof. Douglas C. Schmidt study)
#2

Hi, for 25 years I have implemented software for a big player and I have learned one thing: Noone is looking into a documentation if there is someone who could asked. So I think your request is not really needed or better, it will not used.

We do have a lot of wikis here in forum, but most people are asking in the telegram group for help.

But if you want write a new documentation, go head :wink:

1 Like
#3

Hi,
I think this kind of introduction document for /e/ is currently missing.

There are lots of /e/ wiki pages but having all information in one pdf file is a very good idea considering not all /e/ users are geek or some users are coming from non-Android world.

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#4

To understand for newbie or noops or moms and dads and grannys it will need a lot more than 10 pages or 1 page has 1 meter length :wink:

#5

Maybe. That’s why I talked about a different format, for instance a video or multiple videos that would explain what an OS is, what a fork is, why /e/ is important, how GAFAM spy on us, what do they know about us, how install /e/ fir each brand, an explanation of all settings in /e/, etc etc. It can’t be useless or a bad idea.

I thought about doing it myself but I don’t have all the skills required for this. I’m better with text than video. Still thinking about that for a few weeks though.

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#6

Nooooo, pls don’t make video’s. Are we unable to read ?? Video tutorials are the biggest shit I ever have seen. To follow a video tutorial you must have 4 eyes, 2 for the video and 2 for that what your fingers should do. And if you are stuck somewhere, you have only a bad chance to find the section where you get lost. In written tutorials, you can really step by step and if something was wrong you can easy scroll back to the section where you have to start over

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#7

@harvey186 yes!!! Videos are so hard to follow.

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#8

Are we unable to listen and watch ? A video is less complicated than a big text for new users when it’s not made by a 12 years old child :yum: . And let’s people choose between text or video anyway, in order to make a video a text in needed so there is no problem, both would be available.

And explaining why /e/ is important doesn’t require a text, video is much better when it’s not a tutorial. (But of course both would be available)

1 Like
#9

I think only the youtube kids are love watching video tutorials, but not moms and dads and grannies.
And yes, I’m not able to listen, because I’m hard hearing :frowning: And there will be some grannies like me :wink:

But I think that’s out of topic

#10

It will take weeks/months to have an almost complete “Support” page or detailed documentation about /e/ and the open-source universe. And for now nothing is done so we have the time before thinking about videos anyway :yum:

#11

Hi, for more than 25 years I’ve seen as support tech users lost in front of a computer because they had in their hands a complex system delivered without any kind of information except “press the power button to turn the computer on” or inside a readme file “open wordpad to read this document” !!! ??? @@
So a minimum of information is always needed and as someone said “When everything goes wrong read the fuc… manual”.
An example can you tell me where are located in /e/ the settings allowing me to choose what is synced on e.drive. It’s not obvious. [Settings/accounts/manage/settings…]

So a map or tree of the system settings with a short explanation would a valuable feature.

#12

Yes I’m doing it. I should have finished the French version in 2 weeks. The English version should come in 3 weeks. For other languages, I will see with the rest of the translation team but we will see that later. The link in order to download the “Support” folder will be given on the forum.

3 Likes
#13

Cool. Good news. I can not wait to take a look.
I know a lot of people that need this kind of help.

1 Like
#14

Laudable enthusiasm, here! PDF or video, I wish the security section mentioned all kinds of audits and their role in maintaining trust in /e/.

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#15

I think a summary pdf type document is a good idea, but good luck finding the right balance of length and detail. Also, seeing the direction the e-play-store has gone, I’m afraid history is just repeating again, unless I’m missing something.

Background for perspective:

The Original Droid in 2009 had 3 users guides - Quick Start (2 foldout pages), Tips and Tricks (10 pages), and Users Guide (56 pages!). The User Guide had 10 pages on Safety, Regulatory and Legal.

Privacy issues was less than 1 page.

https://web.archive.org/web/20100302063215/http://www.motorola.com/support/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=20333d8b83184210VgnVCM1000008806b00aRCRD&vgnextchannel=25aae66506e9d110VgnVCM1000008406b00aRCRD

Around the same time, G’s Privacy Summary sounded OK, although their policy and terms statements were TL;DR lengths, which should have been a warning. Personally, I think they failed to deliver, if not lied about, 4 of 5 early “privacy principles.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20100319094138/http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy.html

E-foundation today in comparison:

About-e web page gives a concise summary. However, the more I see it, the more I dislike “desirable enough for Mom, Dad and children,” because it is essentially meaningless. It seems to mean we’re trying to please all the people all the time, which is impossible. Also, it is VERY unfortunate that these pages still have gstatic javascript. So, try to explain that in a concise manual.

The privacy-facts web page is another concise summary with a great graphic image, and the link to the excellent Vanderbilt University study (55 pages!) has a lot of good material, which could be “fairly used” in a shorter e-manual.

The privacy-policy web page is very good, but there is already some misleading information, IMO. For example,
“We do not allow or employ third-party behavioral tracking. Our website features no third party ads or tracking tools.”
I’m glad to see this ONE page has no gstatic! But, Discourse seems like a big hole; who believes it has no 3rd party tracking?

What is missing and needed?

A prominent posting of the Roadmap with goal, status, target dates, and explanation of major features, done and being worked on. This should include things like: implemented end-to-end encryption of nextcloud, removed gstatic from all e-web pages, and whatever else e-foundation considers important goals.

As for videos, something similar to this one by Todd Weaver, founder of Librem.one, could be a good thing. In fairness, they also really have 3rd party tracking, like G00gle apis, on their sites too, and also use Discourse. :frowning:

https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/the-future-of-computing-and-why-you-should-care/

1 Like
#16

Great suggestion @ralxx!
/e/ definitely needs to provide information about the OS that people will be using: the overall purpose, the OS itself, the launcher, the settings, the apps, how to use them and their settings; the services, how to use them and their settings… Etc.

It’s a lot to cover, but it needs to be done. I think that both text and videos are needed. Videos don’t need as much translation, they are more accessible (generally) and community members can easily make and share them. Docs can be more detailed, more comprehensive and importantly people can read them offline, when they’re trying to work out why they can’t get any internet access!