[T(A)ILS-dev] about Tails doc

Author: sajolida
Date:
To: tails-dev
Subject: [T(A)ILS-dev] about Tails doc

Hello people,

Here are couple of notes from a discussion we had about the Tails
documentation. The discussion arose when someone proposed to write an
FAQ for Tails and we felt the need to think more globally about the
documentation.

FAQ
---

Someone proposed to write a FAQ for Tails. Here are a couple of comments
on that.

- The FAQ could be a list of common questions but the answers should
point to more complete answers in the real doc.
- It could be possible to give several answers to the same question.
- Some questions will surely go beyond the scope of Tails so in this
case we should rather point to other references (eg. Wikipedia) than
rewrite things that are already existing.
- We need to write a big warning to the FAQ to say that people need to
face the truth:
- It is not possible to give a simple answer to a complex question
- It is not possible to protect from bad uses of Tails
- To summer up: the FAQ should be see as another entry point to the doc,
another format to explore the same content without simplifying or
duplicating what's in the real doc.

Content
-------

Here are a couple of comments about the documentation in general.

- The most important would be to be clear about what Tails doesn't
  protect you against :
  - Doesn't protect you from a targeted attack against a specific person
    for example in the case of confirmation attacks, if the two ends of
    a connection are analysed, if your connection is being monitored or
    analysed.
  - Doesn't protect you against MitM with fake certificates or if you
    don't pay enough attention.
  - It makes it clear that you are using Tor and probably Tails. It
    doesn't make you look like any random Internet user.
  - Doesn't clear the metadata of your images for you (eg. the serial
    number of your digital camera).
  - Doesn't makes your crappy passwords stronger.
  - Doesn't magically separte your different virtual identities if used
    in parallel in the same session.
  - Doesn't protect you from a global adversary.
- We should reuse as much as possible the Tor documentation.
- We should base our work on the walktrough: correct it, split it,
  complete it.

Miscellaneous
-------------

- When writing doc on software included in Tails we could try to push it
upstream, just as we're doing for code.
- When should also try to push upstream the translation of docs that we
produce.
- For screenshots it looks alright to use a 800×600 screen resolution
and reduce it afterwards by 75% (like done in the new doc on USB
install). JPG should be lighter that PNG.

Structure of the doc
--------------------

**Getting started…**, a page that would present a possible path to using
Tails a bit like the beginning of the overview of Tor's documentation,
see http://www.torproject.org/docs/documentation.html.en
- Overview
- Warning…
- Install + Check your Tails' integrity + Stay tuned
- Doc, FAQ, Reference manual
- Found a bug?
- Talk

**Support**, with pointers to :
- Documentation
- FAQ
- Found a bug?
- Talk

**Documentation**
  - Introduction → Overview
  - Warnings!
  - Installing Tails
    - Downloading (link)
    - Verify the image integrity
    - Installing onto a USB stick
    - Virtualization
    - Stay up to date

Found a problem? → suppressed!

Possible first steps forward
----------------------------

- Integrate in the walkthough the doc about installing
- Write something for the Getting started…
- Write something for the Warning part

Hi everybody,

Here are couple of notes from a discussion we had about the Tails
documentation. The discussion arose when someone proposed to write an
FAQ for Tails and we felt the need to think more globally about the
documentation.

FAQ
---

Someone proposed to write a FAQ for Tails. Here are a couple of comments
on that.

- The FAQ could be a list of common questions but the answers should
point to more complete answers in the real doc.
- It could be possible to give several answers to the same question.
- Some questions will surely go beyond the scope of Tails so in this
case we should rather point to other references (eg. Wikipedia) than
rewrite things that are already existing.
- We need to write a big warning to the FAQ to say that people need to
face the truth:
- It is not possible to give a simple answer to a complex question
- It is not possible to protect from bad uses of Tails
- To summer up: the FAQ should be see as another entry point to the doc,
another format to explore the same content without simplifying or
duplicating what's in the real doc.

Content
-------

Here are a couple of comments about the documentation in general.

- The most important would be to be clear about what Tails doesn't
  protect you against :
  - Doesn't protect you from a targeted attack against a specific person
    for example in the case of confirmation attacks, if the two ends of
    a connection are analysed, if your connection is being monitored or
    analysed.
  - Doesn't protect you against MitM with fake certificates or if you
    don't pay enough attention.
  - It makes it clear that you are using Tor and probably Tails. It
    doesn't make you look like any random Internet user.
  - Doesn't clear the metadata of your images for you (eg. the serial
    number of your digital camera).
  - Doesn't makes your crappy passwords stronger.
  - Doesn't magically separte your different virtual identities if used
    in parallel in the same session.
  - Doesn't protect you from a global adversary.
- We should reuse as much as possible the Tor documentation.
- We should base our work on the walktrough: correct it, split it,
  complete it.

**Documentation**
  - Introduction → Overview
  - Warnings!
  - Installing Tails
    - Downloading (link)
    - Verify the image integrity
    - Installing onto a USB stick
    - Virtualization
    - Stay up to date

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