How editing works

The Kaizendo project is about writing textbooks using processes used in the open source and free software communities. Here you'll find a high-level overview of what this process is.

Two processes

The basic process is quite simple,

• The user feedback loop
  • ...where teachers, students, enthusiasts and anyone else who cares can tell the editors about improvements in the text
• The editing loop
  • ...where the authors or editors can create the next revision of the text, based on the feedback and other input.

The user feedback loop

Reading and adding to a discussion

1. Show a specific chapter in browser.
2. Turn on comments mode which then displays all the places in the text that have one or more comments attached to it. This is shown using a yellow text background the places where people have left comments.
3. Click on a text with yellow background, in order to display the comments linked to that text.
4. Read and maybe add your own $0.02 to this discussion.

Adding a new comment/discussion

1. Show a specific chapter in browser.
2. Select the specific text that deserves your comment
3. When the text is selected, an "Add comment" button appears, click it.
4. A form field appears, allowing you to write your comment and then submit it.
5. Your comment is now indicated in the text with a yellow background, so that others can add to your comment.

The editing loop

1. Show a specific chapter in browser.
2. Author/editor turns on editing mode.
3. The full text is now displayed as editable. On the right, you can see the first few words of a text with comments (to give context) followed by the comment itself and it's subsequent discussion.
4. Editor can now change the text (based on the comments or otherwise,) and mark any specific comments resolved, as necessary.
5. When done, the author/editor can click the next discussion button, and then repeat points 4 and 5 until done.