Created attachment 150048 [details] [review]
Compile information for beginners on one page

Hi, it looks like you didn't add your new file to git before creating the patch.  The only thing in this diff is a spurious whitespace change to an existing file.  You probably want to do something like this:

git add name_of_file.page
git commit
git format-patch HEAD^

Thanks for your work.  I'm looking forward to seeing this.  I agree it would be a good addition to the help.

Alternatively, if you're finding git overwhelming, since you're only adding a new file, you could just attach that file.

Created attachment 150054 [details] [review]
Compile information for beginners on one page

Thanks for the patch.  I'm not really sure this page provides what a user would expect from "New to IM" overview.  Some points:

* Don't feel like you have to use step lists.  We use steps when we're providing concrete instructions on how to accomplish a task.  This page shouldn't be a task.  Rather, it should be an overview of concepts.

* Try to explain the concepts of what an instant messaging application does.  What does it allow the user to do?  Why would the user even want to use IM?  What sorts of concepts would be helpful for the user to know?  Cross-link to other topics as much as possible.

* In an overview, use figures to explain concepts.  Don't worry if you can't draw.  I can't either.  We can get designers to turn rough sketches into shiny graphics.

* It's OK to link to pages on the web for additional information, but the way this is presented, the web page is basically serving as a substitute for the help page.

* The linked-to web page is all about IRC.  If this help page is for people who are new to instant messaging, we don't want their first exposure to be all the idiosyncrasies of IRC.   A separate IRC overview page might be useful.

* Maybe it would make sense to just add more content to the Introduction page.  The Introduction page could use more content regardless.

OK. I'll try again.

v.spagnolo: Did you have time to rework this?

Thank you for the reminder. No. Please mark as closed. 

Shaun, thank you for the very clear feedback.

Created attachment 230068 [details] [review]
Added an Overview Page eith generic information on IM

I'm attaching a patch here based on Shaun's review. 

I've also attached some rather childish sketches of what images I think could go into the page.

(In reply to comment #9)
> Created an attachment (id=230068) [details] [review]

Please attach that as a patch, not a page! You can find information on how to use git at https://live.gnome.org/Git/Developers

Feel free to contact me on IRC if you need any help, my nick is kittykat and I am normally online 09:00-21:00 UTC

> I'm attaching a patch here based on Shaun's review.

pkgversion 2.28 is is obsolete, you should be using at least 3.6 for writing the help and ideally master (3.7). You can check the version number of your empathy install in Help>About.

Until the patch is committed, have only one revision tag.

Reflow the paragraph text to be no longer than 80 characters, like is done on hide-contacts.page

Three figures in a row can take up a lot of space, maybe display them as three thumbnails in one row?
.
> I've also attached some rather childish sketches of what images I think could
> go into the page.

Hmm, I cannot see any attached sketches…

Kat, I've mailed the revised patch to you, since it was too large to be attached here. :)

Patch reviewed, general comments are to reword so that the page is more task oriented and the wording is more precise. Also links to other useful resources would be beneficial.

The graphics are cute, but maybe ask one of the designers to draw them up or process then so that they look more consistent with screenshots?

Comment on attachment 230068 [details] [review]
Added an Overview Page eith generic information on IM

Reviewed version of this patched pushed to master in commit c43eea2af4d1412e18ad58cef1dd6904e90840e8.