Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 01:38:06 -0400 (EDT) From: Tim Vanderhoek <hoek@freenet.hamilton.on.ca> To: "Julian H. Stacey" <jhs@FreeBSD.ORG> Cc: Tim Vanderhoek <hoek@freenet.hamilton.on.ca>, doc@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: share/doc/FAQ/obj/freebsd-faq.html Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960701232810.25763A-100000@james.freenet.hamilton.on.ca> In-Reply-To: <199607012139.XAA19679@vector.jhs.no_domain>
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On Mon, 1 Jul 1996, Julian H. Stacey wrote:
> Well, rather minority /strange, but the answers have zero value,
> except as humour, where perhaps a dave barry chunk outside FreeBSD `du' space
> might be more appropriate reading :-)
> Part 2 of Q7.21 could even have a sensible answer, but hasnt.
I recall, when reading the FAQ for the first time before installing
FreeBSD seeing the answer to the `temperature' question and having spend
5-10 minutes wondering exactly how serious it was... Having gone through
that experience, I can say that I appreciate the value of a ridiculous
question & answer in the FAQ.
I found it helped take away the "scariness" of installing a foreign OS
onto my machine.
Not as importantly, I think it can also encourage people to read more of
the FAQ. ("What the heck is that question about!?!" <goes reads...>
"Hmm... well, I've read one question now, I might as well read another").
> > > Reorder the words in the FAQ sections titles,
> > > similar to the way a stores list of engineering components is listed,
> > > so that the index is visually scannable fast & easily. EG:
> > > Printer, colour, driver: fails when blah blah
> > > Printer, postscript: filters available
> > > Printer, parallel port: interrupt config
> > > Printer, serial: interface parameters
> >
> In concept they're the same logical structure,
> just that mine would present more info per page,
> which would be nicer over a slow web link
> than if we only have a few items per sub index,
> + your struct wouldn't be so usefull when it comes to printing the whole FAQ;
> however either way would be an improvement for screen interactive usage.
Good point. I think what scares me about what you first suggested is the
lack of a nice approachable sentence. At one end is the fact that having
a large multi-line description of the question would take away the
organizational value of the above; at the other end there is a certain
amount of readability and style necessary.
Anyways, I withdraw my suggested structure. :)
Other things, though...
In the answers themselves. I question the usefulness of having a
"Previous" and "Next". Often, even with the best of organized
hierarchies, I suspect that no two questions will be related in this
"Previous"/"Next" manner. Rather, each answer should have a short list
of cross-references at the end that may also help the reader with their
problem. I realize this is a function of the linuxdoc sgml, but there
has been some more talk lately about replacing it, I think...
Each answer should have, at the top, in a consistent place, a
date-modified field, and a field saying what release a given answer does
or does not pertain to.
Since the index entry, or "question" for a given answer will be fairly
curt, it could be worthwhile rewriting the question in a more descriptive
(maybe even colloquial) manner as part of the answer.
Things like this are fairly easy compared to deciding on a nice & neat
hierarchy, though.
> > I look at the INDEX for the FAQ, and I'm scared... It's ugly... :(
>
> Yes. It's ugliness will discourage use as an index,
> & so people will be tempted to post Q instead.
It'd be one more reason to choose...yunnoo...well...something else over
FreeBSD. And, of course, that's no good! :)
--
Outnumbered? Maybe. Outspoken? Never!
tIM...HOEk
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