Hi Crhis,
Thanks for the explanation. And yes, I do understand that things take time. I know it's a challenge to prioritize all the different things to do here on WT.
Regarding User Stories, this is a common concept in software development and specifically those that use "Agile" software engineering practices. It is a way to put yourself in the mind of your end-user and figure out what things they would like to do with some system. This is a way of helping you to discover Requirements for that system, and then take that list and build them into the system.
In good Wiki fashion, here is more information about User Stories:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_story
Specifically take a look at the Format:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_story#Format
And Examples:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_story#Examples
There is a section about comparing with Use Cases:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_story#Comparing_with_use_cases
After familiarizing yourself with above, you can then go back up in this thread and re-read Magnus's suggestions. He has separated each concept, and each starts with a User Story.
Take a look at his first suggestion for a Geolocation feature. He starts off with a User story, which gives the rationale for why someone wants to have this feature. He then goes on showing how this feature is available in Wikipedia, and an example of how we can use that template in WikiTree.
Magnus described User Stories for all these features:
- Geolocation
- Simplified Map
- Boilerplate (with six examples, listed as A-F)
- Info Box
- OCLC World Cat
- Misnamed Project Category
I hope this helps with the explanation. Both Magnus and I have backgrounds in software engineering. Well, I do. I assume Magnus has because the language that he is using above.
Magnus's answer is not about the proposed policy on templates. As I understand him, he is advocating focusing LESS on making up policies about things, and focusing MORE on creating features that are helpful to both beginning users and to advanced users. Do this by using more templates, essentially shortcuts, that do even more in their functionality. By focusing more on the functionality and importantly, ease-of-use, of various templates, then you will naturally spend less time on developing policies of usage.
Which path is better for the end user? A wealth of capabilities? Or more written rules on how to use, or not to use something? Rules should be baked into the feature, in a programmatic way. A feature should be, as we say in the industry, monkey-proof: easy to use, and difficult to break. There are many different kinds of people who use WT, with a wide range of skills. Features should be targeted to both Beginning Users (low wiki skill set) as well as Advanced Users (high wiki skill set). And make it easier for all of us to put together consistently useful and great profiles.