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Date:      Fri, 08 Mar 2002 15:34:29 -0500
From:      Tom Rhodes <darklogik@pittgoth.com>
To:        Michael Lucas <mwlucas@blackhelicopters.org>
Cc:        doc@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: patch for opinions
Message-ID:  <3C892055.2090106@pittgoth.com>
References:  <20020308145629.A68153@blackhelicopters.org>

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Michael Lucas wrote:

> 
> Folks,
> 
> I was reading the "contributing" article, and my literary
> sensibilities were completely offended.  This section is guilty of
> overuse of exclamation ponits and the word "also", as well as
> miscellaneous inefficiencies in writing.  Attached please find a patch
> for the first section of articles/contributing.  (Not closely checked
> for whitespace gratuitousness, mind you.)
> 
> I see a potential here to open a big can o'worms, worms called "wasted
> effort," "conflict of writing styles," and "hurt feelings because
> Michael's picking on someone's writing skills when we should be happy
> to just have docs at all, damn it!".
> 
> I'm perfectly happy to hear that this is a non-issue, mind you, but I
> can see this sort of thing either hurting feelings or setting a
> precedent the Project doesn't want set.  Thoughts?
> 
> ==ml
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Index: article.sgml
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /home/ncvs/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/contributing/article.sgml,v
> retrieving revision 1.474
> diff -c -r1.474 article.sgml
> *** article.sgml	18 Feb 2002 03:06:39 -0000	1.474
> --- article.sgml	8 Mar 2002 19:46:28 -0000
> ***************
> *** 32,66 ****
>     </articleinfo>
>     
>     <indexterm><primary>contributing</primary></indexterm>
> !   <para>So you want to contribute something to FreeBSD? That is great! We can
> !     always use the help, and FreeBSD is one of those systems that
> !     <emphasis>relies</emphasis> on the contributions of its user base in order
>       to survive.  Your contributions are not only appreciated, they are vital
> !     to FreeBSD's continued growth!</para>

>         
> !   <para>Contrary to what some people might also have you believe, you do not
>       need to be a hot-shot programmer or a close personal friend of the FreeBSD
> !     core team in order to have your contributions accepted.  The FreeBSD
> !     Project's development is done by a large and growing number of
> !     international contributors whose ages and areas of technical expertise
> !     vary greatly, and there is always more work to be done than there are
> !     people available to do it.</para>
>         
>     <para>Since the FreeBSD project is responsible for an entire operating
> !     system environment (and its installation) rather than just a kernel or a
>       few scattered utilities, our <filename>TODO</filename> list also spans a
>       very wide range of tasks, from documentation, beta testing and
> !     presentation to highly specialized types of kernel development.  No matter
>       what your skill level, there is almost certainly something you can do to
> !     help the project!</para>
>         
>     <para>Commercial entities engaged in FreeBSD-related enterprises are also
> !     encouraged to contact us.  Need a special extension to make your product
>       work? You will find us receptive to your requests, given that they are not
> !     too outlandish.  Working on a value-added product? Please let us know! We
>       may be able to work cooperatively on some aspect of it.  The free software
>       world is challenging a lot of existing assumptions about how software is
> !     developed, sold, and maintained throughout its life cycle, and we urge you
>       to at least give it a second look.</para>
>         
>     <sect1 id="contrib-what">
> --- 32,66 ----
>     </articleinfo>
>     
>     <indexterm><primary>contributing</primary></indexterm>
> !   <para>So you want to contribute to FreeBSD? That is great! 
> !     FreeBSD
> !     <emphasis>relies</emphasis> on the contributions of its user base 
>       to survive.  Your contributions are not only appreciated, they are vital
> !     to FreeBSD's continued growth.</para>


s/they/but/  ?  "appreciated, but are" "appreciated, but are"  I think 
the later sounds better.  If anything else "but are also vital" doesn't 
sound bad either.  Your patch though ;)


>         
> !   <para>Contrary to what some people might have you believe, you do not
>       need to be a hot-shot programmer or a close personal friend of the FreeBSD
> !     core team to have your contributions accepted.
> !     A large and growing number of
> !     international contributors, of greatly varying ages and areas of technical expertise, develop FreeBSD.
> !     There is always more work to be done than there are
> !     people available to do it, and more help is always appreciated.</para>


might have you believe, you do not   /  people may say, you do not

I just did not like the use of two "you"'s in there... anyone else?


>         
>     <para>Since the FreeBSD project is responsible for an entire operating
> !     system environment rather than just a kernel or a
>       few scattered utilities, our <filename>TODO</filename> list also spans a
>       very wide range of tasks, from documentation, beta testing and
> !     presentation to the system installer and highly specialized types of kernel development.  No matter
>       what your skill level, there is almost certainly something you can do to
> !     help the project.</para>
>         
>     <para>Commercial entities engaged in FreeBSD-related enterprises are also
> !     encouraged to contact us.  Do you need a special extension to make your product
>       work? You will find us receptive to your requests, given that they are not
> !     too outlandish.  Are you working on a value-added product? Please let us know! We
>       may be able to work cooperatively on some aspect of it.  The free software
>       world is challenging a lot of existing assumptions about how software is
> !     developed, sold, and maintained, and we urge you
>       to at least give it a second look.</para>
>         
>     <sect1 id="contrib-what">
> 


small picks, I know... but they are not "must do" things, and i'll agree 
either way ;)

-- 
Tom (Darklogik) Rhodes
www.Pittgoth.com Gothic Liberation Front
www.FreeBSD.org  The Power To Serve


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