Hello again, fellow Ubuntunuts! Please join us for Wiki Weekend No. 2!

A month has passed, and your help is needed again to keep the wiki up to date. If you weren’t part of the inaugural “rampage,” welcome! And if you did help out last month — welcome back!

SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

The problem is that Ubuntu moves fast. We have one of the most progressive distros available, and things change from week to week, and even day to day. Herd 2 was just released. Xubuntu is becoming as powerful as its two siblings. And Fluxbuntu is ripening at pace with Feisty Fawn.

Changes come fast and furious with Ubuntu, and our wiki and community documentation needs as much attention as we can give it. And since you use Ubuntu every day, and you know how it works and how it doesn’t work, you’re the perfect person to keep the wiki on the leading edge.

SO WHY IS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL?

It’s a big deal because some people rely on the wiki to get started with Ubuntu. And more people refer to the wiki in the case of problems with Ubuntu. And still more people need the wiki as a touchstone for the Ubuntu phenomenon. From those standpoints, the wiki is as critical as any other part of the Ubuntu framework.

Here’s an example: Suppose you have a 64-bit machine. You want to install the 32-bit version of Ubuntu. What help do you get from the wiki? Only this. And yet there are probably thousands of Ubuntu 64-bit users who could offer more information than just that.

SO WHAT’S THE PLAN?

Give us an hour of your life and expertise this weekend, Jan. 20-21, 2007, and edit, update or clarify anything and everything you can. You’re not required to clock in or out, and if you get distracted playing Freedroid, no one will complain. All we’re asking for is a little help, and a little time.

SO WHAT IF I SPEAK MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE?

If you’re multilingual, you are a huge asset to Ubuntu. There is a long list of multilingual resources; consider contributing to any and all you can.

SO WHAT IF MY RIG IS UNIQUE?

If you have experience with unique hardware configurations, you’re especially important. If you’re using components that aren’t seen often or need special attention to work, the information you add could be a huge boost for someone else down the road.

SO WHAT IF I LACK EXPERIENCE OR EXPERTISE?

If you’ve used Ubuntu, you’re qualified. If you’ve installed Ubuntu, you’re qualified. Even if you’ve only tried the live CD and it didn’t start up, that’s important to mention. So don’t worry about your Linux pedigree. We’re not looking for gurus, we are looking for users.

SO WHAT IF I’VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE?

Don’t worry. Wiki markup is exceptionally easy, and there are help pages that will get you started. And if you find it confusing or difficult, just add your contribution and another member will help later with formatting. How it looks is not nearly as important as getting the ideas on the page. Prettificationing can come later. 😉

And don’t be shy. Feel free to correct what’s present, based on your expertise. The underlying principle of ubuntu is that the contributions of one improve upon the experiences of all.

SO WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?

• An hour of your time
• Your expertise and experiences using Ubuntu
• Language skills in any area(s) you can offer

SO WHAT DO I NEED TO DO THIS?

• Again, an hour of your time
• Again, your expertise and experiences using Ubuntu
• An Internet connection 😉
• A Launchpad or wiki account (they are the same; a Launchpad account allows you to edit the wiki)

SO WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE AN ACCOUNT?

Getting one is no more difficult than it was signing up for the forums. Follow this link to get started.

SO WHERE DO I START?

Before you go wild, read the Wiki Guide so you have an idea of how it works. If you want a starting point, take a look at this page, which will show you what areas are already flagged as needy.

There are also special instructions for integrating information from the forums here.

And as if that wasn’t enough, there’s an entire category marked for cleaning up.

Roll up your sleeves!

SO HOW DO I CONTACT THE DOC TEAM?

The documentation team is part of this event, and you can contact them immediately via IRC at #ubuntu-doc on irc.freenode.net. There should be someone on hand to clarify things.

THANK YOU!

Your help is greatly appreciated! By adding, correcting and refreshing our community documentation, you’ve helped give Ubuntu a greater and more powerful presence in the Linux community! Cheers and thanks!

P.S.: Forum post here. It will look remarkably similar. … 🙄