I think there should be a developer section added to the FAQ. There are some developer related questions that are frequently asked on lj_dev
lj_clients
First, here is how I would move the Developer Area content into the FAQ.
LiveJournal code
Create "Where can I get the code for the LiveJournal server?" and direct people to http://www.livejournal.com/code/. (Also, the text should not offer the code for "all of the available clients", as it isn't all available there anyway.)
Database Schema
Create "Where can I learn about the database schema?". Briefly explain what a database schema is and direct people to http://www.livejournal.com/doc/server/ljp.dbschema.ref.html.
Customizing the look of LiveJournal
This can be redirected to the existing FAQ #128 or just removed altogether.
Writing LiveJournal Clients
Create "How do I write a LiveJournal client?" Direct people to http://www.livejournal.com/doc/server/ljp.csp.protocol.html. The other page, http://www.livejournal.com/developer/protocol.bml, is redundant and should be removed. I don't think it has anything that the newer documentation doesn't.
Then, the developer area page could be:
- left alone
- left alone but amended to include a link to the new developer FAQ section
- rewritten to include a link to the FAQ and links to the other pages in the developer directory, like varlist.bml, views.bml, etc.
Next, I propose these new questions be added, which are not answered anywhere else:
- How do I add my client to the download page?
- How do I propose a change to the LiveJournal server code? (Explain how to submit suggestions (the community) and how to submit patches (zilla).)
- Why doesn't the protocol itemid match the web itemid? (Explain how to combine itemid and anum)
- How do I get a goathack account?
Don't think of this as a request that you do more work. I am not saying "you go do this." I would be happy doing it all myself and maintaining the Developer FAQ myself, if someone can give me access and show me how.
So, what are the drawbacks that I haven't thought of? :-)