FLOSS Manuals is working with phpList to help the production of their new manual.

Developing a detailed understanding of the needs of  communities and businesses who wish to work with FlossManuals as entities in their own right, is a fundamental goal of this project. One such need, already established by the team, is a simple way to self-host "stable versions" of the manual, in html, on the website of the Community/Company.

"We are very happy to work with phpList to develop a new workflow for exporting epub, pdf and HTML versions of documentation from FLOSS Manuals to be displayed within the websites of our partners" said Mick Chesterman from FLOSS Manuals "this work reflects a recent change of focus for FLOSS manuals to become more community orientated and to work more directly to support other Free Software projects."

More than a manual

This partnership between FlossManuals and phpList is about more than writing a single manual, however: we are working together to create a re-usable, sustainable workflow and tool-kit which will, in turn, help other Open Source software projects work with FlossManuals to improve their documentation.

"We are delighted to be contributing upstream in this way" says Michiel Dethmers of phpList Ltd "this is the Open Source spirit exemplified, sharing knowledge and workflows, as well as code, in a way which future projects can build upon"

The FlossManuals effect

FlossManuals <http://www.flossmanuals.org/> is an international community of writers, who work together to write manuals about how to use Free, Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS).

Since the project started in 2007, the FlossManuals community has written more than 120 books in over 30 languages, covering all sorts of topics, from Open Video, Libre Graphics and Internet Security.

"Floss Manuals, who make a wide range of Open Source software accessible to an international user base, provide an living testimony to Free Software as a movement. We are not simply a series of individual software projects with discrete goals: we are also one community with a shared purpose" said Anna Morris, the phpList Community Manger "It's going to be a refreshing few months of writing, to be reminded of this exciting idea, every morning when I get to my desk!"

The phpList Documentation Team

 The phpList documentation team is made up of a wide variety of phpList users, translators developers.

"Having started off as just another user of phpList, I started helping out on the forums, and helping others with their installs. Now I am helping to write the code documentation itself!" said David Shepherdson of Dragonrider Computing <http://dragonrider.co.uk/phplist>, a member of the phpList Documentation Team "this is an honour to be involved with, as it is rare that one gets the opportunity to contribute back into the Open Source Community."

The team will use the Floss Manuals platform (which uses BookType) to collaboratively write the new manual. When the first stable version is finished, it will be published on the phpList site. It will also be available for Download as pdf, epub and open office document. It will also be translated into different languages.

Elisa de Castro Guerra from Floss Manuals francophone said: "This is a great project and the French community will be involved to help translate this new piece of documentation in any way we can!"

Members of the Documentation will receive a phpList tshirt, to celebrate the launch of the manual. You can enter an idea for the t-shirt
design here. <http://community.phplist.com/phplist-t-shirts-a-call-for-cool/>