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Curator Guidelines

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Kelsey M edited this page Jan 4, 2023 · 2 revisions

Curator Guidelines

This list of guidelines for creating content for Data Derp. It serves as a reminder when revamping content, adding new sections or when trying to slim down because of time constraints.

Scope of the content

This is a course for developers interested in data with existing programming knowledge but not necessary data processing knowledge. The goal is to cater to this audience. Any interesting content that goes beyond the basics is to be clearly marked and shall not interrupt the flow of any given paragraph.

Building up knowledge

We want to help people build a strong foundation of knowledge. Therefore, we advocate for a linear approach to adding content and building blocks on top of each other.

What we try to avoid:

  1. Mentioning names or abbreviations of technologies and frameworks that have not been introduced, yet.
  2. Trying to impress people with our knowledge.
  3. Introducing prejudice (Python vs. Scala, Cloud provider X vs. Cloud provider Y).
  4. Half-heartedly pointing towards content in future sections unless it adds clear structure to the course.
  • Bad example: "We'll go into details about this, later."
  • Better example: "In the first half of the course, we will focus on batch processing, whereas streaming exercises will follow in the second half of the course."

Time estimates

At least each page shall provide a time estimate for its completion. The time estimate includes embedded videos at 1x speed and mandatory links to external pages. Bonus content is not to be included in the time estimate but it can provide its own estimation. If pages contain a lot of content, individual sections can also provide their own time estimations to allow readers to plan their learning activities accordingly.

Bonus content

Having too much optional content adds variance in the completion time of a section. Some people feel forced to look into all of the resources and links mentioned on a given page, others will dismiss everything optional from the start. It has a risk on adding pressure to people already struggling with completing the sections on time and makes it harder to bring the main topics across. Therefore, always ask yourself if adding the optional content is worth these risks.

Naming

We want to name non-mandatory content and links to external resources Bonus content.

We choose to not name non-mandatory content Optional content because we see it as too vague in terms of whether people should look at it and we also don't want to call it Advanced Content because people might again feel pressured to look into it because they don't just want to do the basic course.

Positioning and context

  • Bonus content must be positioned close the the section where it's relevant.
  • Bonus content must clearly be marked as Bonus content.
  • Bonus content must provide context for which audience it might be interesting for.
  • Bonus content must not be included in the normal time estimate of a page but can provide its own time estimate.

Examples

Bad example: "Optional: You hate Python, too? Have a look at [this]"

Better option: "Bonus content: For people who are interested in implementation examples in Scala, have a look at [Streaming in Scala 101] (Reading time: 15 minutes)"

Bad example: "Optional: Ever heard about Koalas? [Link to the start page of some project]"

Better option: "Bonus content: The following libraries are alternatives to what we've covered so far, but going into details for each of them is out of scope for this course. For your next project, it might be beneficial that you've at least heard the names: [Link1], [Link2]"

Video Guidelines

  • Use a fun, generic, blurry background (no brands please)
  • Share a fresh single incognito window to avoid sharing personal screens like messaging, news, email, tabs, and bookmarks
  • When showing Databricks:
    • log in prior to the recording in order to avoid showing your personal log-in information
    • mask (post-production) your personal user information (especially if it contains an email with a domain)
    • mask (post-production) the workspaces drop down menu as to protect the identity of others (especially if you're an admin and can see the workspaces of others)
  • Upload to the Data Derp Youtube channel
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