Re: Proposed new introductory section to the Gnus manual

[Bob Newell <bobnewell@bobnewell.net>]

Adam Sjøgren <asjo@koldfront.dk> writes:

> It is indeed daunting to get started. (...)

> I agree it would be good to have a more friendly/hand-holdey
> introduction right there, in the manual.

Today, over 10 years into Gnus, it's become something I couldn't
possibly live without. But I do remember the initial suffering, back in
whatever year it was, transitioning from ViewMail to Gnus on the advice
of a colleague (who claimed it was 'easy').

There are a couple of good tutorials on the internet. The one that says
it features the 'essential 5%' (or thereabouts) is one I wish I had had
when starting out. But information is still scattered in many places,
and some of it is misleading.

A layered 'official' manual would be a good thing. Start with the
concept, then the 5%, then build up into the more complex stuff.

Still, 'how low can you go' has its limits. Gnus, like tensor calculus
or analysis of Old French texts, is not for everyone, and we don't want
it to be. This is not an elitist statement nor is it a call to keep it
obscure. It's just a recognition of the fact that a super-powerful and
super-flexible tool that can be made to do almost anything comes at a
price. That price is learning how to use it and being willing to feel
the pain of mental exertion (and exasperation at times) along the
way. We should strive to reduce the exasperation but the exertion, I
think, will always remain.

-- 
Bob Newell
Honolulu, Hawai`i
* Via Gnus/BBDB/Org/Emacs/Linux *