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authorDave Whiteland <dave@mysociety.org>2015-01-26 13:10:19 +0000
committerDave Whiteland <dave@mysociety.org>2015-02-06 13:33:25 +0000
commit2c5b181278bd79be7146f2cc58315a78ef398c88 (patch)
treed9542c56c88257880202f41745eaa8adacbd26c3 /docs
parent06223ef9c34305b5640c4df73b260cd370722f4a (diff)
docs for tags and categories (new page, and links/glossary to it)
Diffstat (limited to 'docs')
-rw-r--r--docs/glossary.md166
-rw-r--r--docs/running/categories_and_tags.md195
2 files changed, 329 insertions, 32 deletions
diff --git a/docs/glossary.md b/docs/glossary.md
index d32ce6278..56f9465b7 100644
--- a/docs/glossary.md
+++ b/docs/glossary.md
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@ Definitions
-----------
<ul class="definitions">
- <li><a href="#alaveteli">Alaveteli</a></li>
<li><a href="#admin">admin interface</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#advanced-search">advanced search</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#alaveteli">Alaveteli</a></li>
<li><a href="#agnostic">asker agnostic</a></li>
<li><a href="#authority">authority</a></li>
<li><a href="#blackhole">black hole</a></li>
<li><a href="#bounce-message">bounce message</a></li>
<li><a href="#capistrano">Capistrano</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#category">category</a></li>
<li><a href="#censor-rule">censor rule</a></li>
<li><a href="#development">development site</a></li>
<li><a href="#disclosure-log">disclosure log</a></li>
@@ -47,43 +49,15 @@ Definitions
<li><a href="#staging">staging site</a></li>
<li><a href="#state">state</a></li>
<li><a href="#super">superuser</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#tag">tag</a></li>
<li><a href="#theme">theme</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#wdtk">WhatDoTheyKnow</a></li>
</ul>
<dl class="glossary">
<dt>
- <a name="alaveteli">Alaveteli</a>
- </dt>
- <dd>
- <strong>Alaveteli</strong> is the name of the open source software platform created
- by <a href="https://www.mysociety.org">mySociety</a> for submitting,
- managing and archiving Freedom of Information requests.
- <p>
- It grew from the successful FOI UK project
- <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com">WhatDoTheyKnow</a>.
- We use the name <em>Alaveteli</em> to distinguish the software
- that runs the platform from any specific website that it is powering.
- </p>
- <div class="more-info">
- <p>More information:</p>
- <ul>
- <li>
- The Alaveteli website is at <a href="http://www.alaveteli.org">www.alaveteli.org</a>
- </li>
- <li>
- The name "Alaveteli" comes from
- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaveteli,_Finland">Alaveteli in Finland</a>
- where
- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Chydenius">an early FOI campaigner</a>
- once worked.
- </li>
- </ul>
- </div>
- </dd>
-
- <dt>
<a name="admin">admin interface</a> (also: admin)
</dt>
<dd>
@@ -118,6 +92,61 @@ Definitions
</dd>
<dt>
+ <a name="advanced-search">advanced search</a>
+ </dt>
+ <dd>
+ Alaveteli's <strong>advanced search</strong> lets users search using
+ more complex criteria than just words. This includes Boolean operators,
+ date ranges, and specific indexes such as <code>status:</code>,
+ <code>requested_by:</code>, <code>status:</code> and so on.
+ <div class="more-info">
+ <p>More information:</p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ Advanced search is available on your Alaveteli site at
+ <code>/advancedsearch</code>. That page shows suggestions and examples
+ of the searches that are supported.
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ For more about constructing complex queries, see
+ <a href="http://xapian.org/docs/queryparser.html">Xapian
+ search parser</a>.
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </div>
+ </dd>
+
+ <dt>
+ <a name="alaveteli">Alaveteli</a>
+ </dt>
+ <dd>
+ <strong>Alaveteli</strong> is the name of the open source software platform created
+ by <a href="https://www.mysociety.org">mySociety</a> for submitting,
+ managing and archiving Freedom of Information requests.
+ <p>
+ It grew from the successful FOI UK project
+ <a href="#wdtk" class="glossary__link">WhatDoTheyKnow</a>.
+ We use the name <em>Alaveteli</em> to distinguish the software
+ that runs the platform from any specific website that it is powering.
+ </p>
+ <div class="more-info">
+ <p>More information:</p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ The Alaveteli website is at <a href="http://www.alaveteli.org">www.alaveteli.org</a>
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ The name "Alaveteli" comes from
+ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaveteli,_Finland">Alaveteli in Finland</a>
+ where
+ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Chydenius">an early FOI campaigner</a>
+ once worked.
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </div>
+ </dd>
+
+ <dt>
<a name="agnostic">asker agnostic</a>
</dt>
<dd>
@@ -147,7 +176,8 @@ Definitions
<p>More information:</p>
<ul>
<li>
- An administrator can add, edit, or remove authorities in the admin
+ An <a href="#super" class="glossary__link">administrator</a>
+ can add, edit, or remove authorities in the admin.
</li>
<li>
Authorities are usually, but not always, public bodies that are obliged by the local
@@ -157,6 +187,10 @@ Definitions
site that are not subject to FoI law, but which have either voluntarily submitted themselves
to it, or which we believe should be accountable in this way.
</li>
+ <li>
+ You can organise your authorities using
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/running/categories_and_tags/">categories and tags</a>.
+ </li>
</ul>
</div>
</dd>
@@ -227,6 +261,30 @@ Definitions
</dd>
<dt>
+ <a name="category">category</a>
+ </dt>
+ <dd>
+ You can arrange your <a href="#authority" class="glossary__link">authorities</a>
+ into <strong>categories</strong> so that they are easier for your users
+ to find. For example, you might put all different schools into the
+ "School" category, and universities into "Universities". You can also
+ group categories under headings (such as "Education").
+ <p>
+ Use <a href="#tag" class="glossary__link">tags</a> to associate
+ authorities with specific categories.
+ </p>
+ <div class="more-info">
+ <p>More information:</p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ More about
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/running/categories_and_tags/">categories and tags</a>
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </div>
+ </dd>
+
+ <dt>
<a name="censor-rule">censor rule</a>
</dt>
<dd>
@@ -912,4 +970,48 @@ Definitions
</div>
</dd>
+ <dt>
+ <a name="tag">tag</a>
+ </dt>
+ <dd>
+ A <strong>tag</strong> is a keyword added to an
+ <a href="#authority" class="glossary__link">authority</a>. Tags
+ are searchable, so can be useful to help users find authorities based
+ by topic or even unique data (for example, in the
+ <a href="#wdtk" class="glossary__link">WhatDoTheyKnow</a> we tag every
+ registered charity with its official charity number). You can also use
+ tags to assign authorities to
+ <a href="#category" class="glossary__link">categories</a>.
+ <div class="more-info">
+ <p>More information:</p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ More about
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/running/categories_and_tags/">categories and tags</a>
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </div>
+ </dd>
+
+ <dt>
+ <a name="wdtk">WhatDoTheyKnow</a>
+ </dt>
+ <dd>
+ The website <strong>WhatDoTheyKnow</strong>.com is the UK installation of
+ Alaveteli, run by <a href="http://mysociety.org">mySociety</a>.
+ <p>
+ In fact, WhatDoTheyKnow predates Alaveteli because the site started in
+ 2008, and was the foundation of the redeployable, customisable
+ Alaveteli plattorm released in 2011.
+ </p>
+ <div class="more-info">
+ <p>More information:</p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com">WhatDoTheyKnow.com</a>
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </div>
+ </dd>
+
</dl>
diff --git a/docs/running/categories_and_tags.md b/docs/running/categories_and_tags.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88285d22e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/running/categories_and_tags.md
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+---
+layout: page
+title: Categories & tags
+---
+
+# Categories and tags for authorities
+
+<p class="lead">
+
+ Use tags to arrange
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#authority"
+ class="glossary__link">authorities</a> into categories, or to associate
+ related authorities with each other. This helps your users find the right
+ authority for the
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#request" class="glossary__link">request</a>
+ (or <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#response" class="glossary__link">response</a>)
+ they are interested in.
+</p>
+
+## Categories & category headings
+
+Alaveteli lets you organise your authorities into *categories*. Categories can
+themselves belong to *category headings*. For example, some of the categories
+and headings on
+<a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#wdtk" class="glossary__link">WhatDoTheyKnow</a>'s
+<a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/list/all">View authorities</a> page look like this:
+
+> * **Media and culture**
+> * Media
+> * Museums and galleries
+> * **Military and security services**
+> * Armed Forces
+> * Military colleges
+> * Security services
+> * **Emergency services**
+> * Police forces
+> * Fire & rescue services
+
+
+In this example, "Emergency services" is a heading which contains the categories
+"Police forces" and "Fire & rescue services".
+
+Tags are simply searchable words that you can add to an authority. Nominate one
+or more tags for each category: any authority which has such a tag is
+automatically assigned to the category. For example, if the tag `police` is
+associated with the category "Police forces", any authority which has the tag
+`police` will appear in that category.
+
+Make sure you choose good category headings and names, because they help your find the specific authorities they are looking for.
+
+<div class="attention-box info">
+ Try to use simple but descriptive words for tags. Tags cannot contain spaces
+ (use an underscore if you need to, <code>like_this</code>).
+ Remember that tags will be seen and used by the public (for example, in the
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#advanced-search" class="glossary__link">advanced search</a>).
+</div>
+
+### Adding a new category
+
+In the admin interface, click on **Categories**. It's a good idea to create
+category headings first (but don't worry if you don't &mdash; you can change
+them later).
+
+Click on **New category heading**, enter a name (for example, "Emergency
+services") and click **Create**.
+
+To create a category, click on **New category**. As well as providing a title
+and a description, you must enter a category tag. Any authority with this tag
+will be assigned to this category.
+
+Select the checkbox next to the category heading under which you want this
+category to be listed. It's common for a category to be under just one heading.
+But sometimes it makes sense for a category to go under more than one, so you
+can select multiple checkboxes if you need to.
+
+Click **Save** to create the category.
+
+### Editing or deleting a category
+
+Click on **Categories** then find the category in the list (if the category is
+under a heading, you may need to click on the heading's chevron to expand the
+list to show it). Click the name of the category to select it. You can edit it
+and click **Save**.
+
+If you want to destroy a category, go to edit it but instead of saving it,
+click on the **Destroy** button at the bottom of the page. This does not
+delete any authorities in that category &mdash; they simply no longer belong to
+it.
+
+## Special tags
+
+Some tags are special. Alaveteli behaves differently when an authority has one
+of these tags.
+
+<table class="table">
+ <tr>
+ <th>
+ Tag
+ </th>
+ <th>
+ Effect
+ </th>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td>
+ <code>site_administration</code>
+ </td>
+ <td>
+ This is a test/dummy authority. It is not displayed to the public on your
+ main site, and it is not included when you
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/running/admin_manual/#creating-changing-and-uploading-public-authority-data">export authorities in CSV format</a>.
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td>
+ <code>defunct</code>
+ </td>
+ <td>
+ This authority no longer operates: new requests cannot be sent to an
+ authority with this tag.
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td>
+ <code>not_apply</code>
+ </td>
+ <td>
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#foi" class="glossary__link">Freedom of Information</a>
+ law does not apply to this authority: new requests cannot be sent to an
+ authority with this tag.
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td>
+ <code>eir_only</code>
+ </td>
+ <td>
+ <em>Custom example:</em> (see below)<br>
+ On our UK installation of Alaveteli,
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#wdtk" class="glossary__link">WhatDoTheyKnow</a>,
+ this tag indicates that the authority is subject to an alternative law
+ (Environment Information Regulations, rather than the Freedom of
+ Information), which means Alaveteli must change the wording of these
+ requests appropriately.
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td>
+ <code>school</code>
+ </td>
+ <td>
+ <em>Custom example:</em> (see below)<br>
+ <a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#wdtk" class="glossary__link">WhatDoTheyKnow</a>
+ applies a different definition of "late" if an authority has the <code>school</code> tag.
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+</table>
+
+## Custom tags and custom behaviour
+
+You can add any tag you want &mdash; they don't have to be associated with
+categories.
+
+If you are a developer, and you want to add special behaviour to your site
+based on your own tags, you need to add custom code, which should probably go
+in your own
+<a href="{{ site.baseurl}}docs/glossary/#theme" class="glossary__link">theme</a>.
+For example, in the UK, schools are granted special concession in the law to allow for
+requests that are made out of term-time. Alaveteli handles this by using the
+[`SPECIAL_REPLY_VERY_LATE_AFTER_DAYS`]({{ site.baseurl }}docs/customising/config/#special_reply_very_late_after_days)
+config value if the authority has the `school` tag.
+See
+[`is_school?`](https://github.com/mysociety/alaveteli/blob/f0bbeb4abf4bf07e5cfb46668f39bbff72ed7210/app/models/public_body.rb#L391)
+and
+[`date_very_overdue_after`](https://github.com/mysociety/alaveteli/blob/81b778622ed47e24a2dea59c0529d1f928c68a58/app/models/info_request.rb#L752)
+for the source code.
+
+## Searching with tags
+
+Alaveteli's
+<a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#advanced-search" class="glossary__link">advanced search</a>
+feature (which is available to all your users) can search for specific tags. So
+if you add useful tags and publicise them, your users can use them to find
+related authorities. For example, see the <a
+href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/advancedsearch">advanced search on
+WhatDoTheyKnow</a> to see this at work.
+
+You can add reference numbers or specific values to tags using a colon. On
+<a href="{{ site.baseurl }}docs/glossary/#wdtk" class="glossary__link">WhatDoTheyKnow</a>
+we tag all authorities that are charities with the tag `charity:123456` (where
+123456 is the authority's registered charity number).
+
+
+
+