Date: Mon, 05 Aug 2002 11:47:18 -0400 From: Tom Rhodes <darklogik@pittgoth.com> To: anderson@centtech.com Cc: Ross Lippert <ripper@eskimo.com>, blackend@FreeBSD.ORG, cjuniet@entreview.com, freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: docs/41106: FreeBSD Handbook lacks "Desktop Applications" chapter. Message-ID: <3D4E9E06.8000201@pittgoth.com> References: <200208051455.HAA18220@eskimo.com> <3D4E9C88.7040308@centtech.com>
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Eric Anderson wrote:
> Great points! I totally agree. Instead of having everyone scripting
> their own html on pages randomly across the net, why don't we do
> something like this:
> Make a website with a "db" backend (no SQL of course, just plain and
> simple) for the "Port Mongers" or whatever to go to, fill in their
> information about a particular port, their experience, love, etc. They
> submit it, and a small number of people "moderate" it - now don't get
> excited about that word. What I mean by that is, basically read it and
> check for things like typos, spelling, simple grammer mistakes, etc,
> prior to "committing" it - something similar to the FreeBSD committers
> system already tried and tested. Then, all ports info will be in one
> place, with a common look/feel, and can be updated by the originator if
> need be.
>
> How does that sound? If it sounds like the right path, I can whip this
> up and get us started.
>
> Eric
>
>
> Ross Lippert wrote:
>
> [..snip..]
>
>> I'm more a fan of diaries, where someone says "I did something neat,
>> here is what it looks like, here's howto", and perhaps someone writes
>> back and says "here's a neater way to do it". I'm not envisioning a
>> diary here, but I am thinking about something which is unashamedly
>> personally biased.
>>
>> It is important to maintain some standards, maybe docproj styles
>> articles. You must not just love the app but love writing good
>> documentation and have a willingness to maintain what you write and
>> maybe combine it with other stuff.
>>
>> There was some discussion about a "multimedia" chapter which I started
>> writing a few months ago (recall my mplayer example). Feedback I got
>> from
>> it indicated that if one starts off with a "multimedia" type chapter,
>> then
>> one is basically talking about ports and how to use them, and where and
>> how that belongs in the handbook is controversial. Probably right. But
>> I still can't help the urge to want to trumpet this and other video apps
>> I came to enjoy.
>>
>> Since we are proposing an experiment, and since the contents will be
>> biased (in either review or testimonial form), perhaps we should start
>> by putting up little articles on our own homepages, and convincing
>> others on doc to do so, make september the "write about your fav app
>> month". We can submit URLs to be linked to from FreeBSD.org, and if
>> it takes off and we end up with an explosion of articles (say by
>> January or else assume we failed), we move to phase II, which
>> necessarily involves more indexing and organization, perhaps more
>> automated feedback to authors. If momentum keeps up, I don't see why
>> it could not be made part of freebsd.org or the /usr/doc as long as a
>> big fat disclaimer for bias is present. Not to mention that if this
>> experiment ever becomes "official" we can ask people involved in projects
>> or port-maintainers if they wouldn't mind jotting down some power-user
>> notes on their apps.
>>
>> How does that sound to you?
>>
>> Oh another source for "good ports" info: I think bsdtoday.org has some
>> howto's on it for things like VMWare and
>> stuff, but I'm sure it is just an archive with no one maintaining it
>> -- yet it remains my first resource for setting up VMWare, I know no
>> other. There should be another.
>>
>
>
>
It sounds impossible with over 7000 ports and only around 100 port
committers. Considering feature changes when ports are updated, along
with the fact that a handful of people just don't use the ports they
Maintain, just make sure it builds ;)
Lets not make the FreeBSD committer's jobs more difficult than they
already are :P
--
Tom (Darklogik) Rhodes
www.Pittgoth.com Gothic Discussion Forum
www.FreeBSD.org The Power To Serve
trhodes@ {Pittgoth.com, FreeBSD.org}
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