From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Frank Schmitt Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Procedure for changing the FAQ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 16:08:25 +0200 Organization: Hamme net, kren mer och nimmi Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: <7680-Wed23Apr2003121503+0300-eliz@elta.co.il> <200304231311.h3NDBAs4012370@rum.cs.yale.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1051115189 22956 80.91.224.249 (23 Apr 2003 16:26:29 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 16:26:29 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Wed Apr 23 18:26:25 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from quimby.gnus.org ([80.91.224.244]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 198N4j-0005xn-00 for ; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 18:26:25 +0200 Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by quimby.gnus.org with esmtp (Exim 3.12 #1 (Debian)) id 198NAX-0005EO-00 for ; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 18:32:26 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.10.13) id 198N42-00049i-00 for emacs-devel@quimby.gnus.org; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 12:25:42 -0400 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.10.13) id 198N2z-0003qR-00 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 12:24:37 -0400 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.10.13) id 198MyE-0001Bn-00 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 12:19:43 -0400 Original-Received: from main.gmane.org ([80.91.224.249]) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.10.13) id 198Mrk-0007fm-00 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 12:13:00 -0400 Original-Received: from list by main.gmane.org with local (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 198MqK-0004bm-00 for ; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 18:11:32 +0200 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ Original-To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-Received: from news by main.gmane.org with local (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 198MpX-0004WY-00 for ; Wed, 23 Apr 2003 18:10:43 +0200 Original-Lines: 34 Original-X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org X-Face: :EL9TzGRN){7|oE2~xQ8Q(VjpjsXgX$~gi&rYD5J5p)$w\Thdl~v:7h`/n)J!8nXT%_+Wj6}@EHM8}QbA(9nX-wrQ:ch1%DauV[?kFasXUcnL#+"K8zOx&$@/M'/},q-eztaJra1|?C+p$h\2XnK-HB"8_U List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Archive: List-Unsubscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:13397 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:13397 "Stefan Monnier" writes: > I think the FAQ has generally not been maintained very well for the simple > reason that such FAQs should be addressed by the manual rather than > by a FAQ. Admittedly, the way it's presented is different, so there's > some sense to having a FAQ additionally to the manual, but please think > of it as another kind of index to the manual: most answers should @xref > to the relevant part of the manual. If there's no such thing in the > manual, then the manual needs to be updated. I partly disagree, partly agree. First of all, the main documentation is huge and the answers to the questions especially newbies have are often in sections where they wouldn't expect them. Therefor a FAQ should explain all major concepts, but concentrate on the most important parts (e.g. only mention the most often used command switches) while referring to the manual for more details. However, the informations contained should be sufficient to get you running with a basic setup. It's hard to explain, perhaps you throw an eye at http://my.gnus/org/FAQ where I tried to make a FAQ that meets my idea of a good one to see what I'm talking about. (BTW: This shows that it isn't this much work, the FAQ contains at the moment 68 question - answer pairs and the text version has about 1,600 lines and it took me all together only about 2-3 weeks to write it from scratch) MFG Frank -- WANTED: A nice signature REWARD: none