Re: suggestion

["Eckhart Guthöhrlein" <eckhart.guthoehrlein@uni-bielefeld.de>]

Sorry, accidentally pressed the send button ;-) Completed version follows.

Patrick Gundlach wrote:

> We have to analyse the questions asked on the list. In my 
> opinion it does not make sens just to copy the question and the 
> correct answer and make a digest. This would not do any good, 
> because we then just have a mere copy of the mailinglist 
> (stripped down to the essentials, indeed)
> 
> More important is to "rate" the questions:

I agree with you. As Hans suggested, everybody could compile a QA for 
his particular case. But for a sensible faq - if we want it - one person 
will probably have to edit and sort them.

> 1) is it a question to wich the answer can be found in the 
> manual? Then there is already a documentation for it and we do 
> not need to answer it again.

Optimistic.

> 2) is it a question that has not yet been documented? Say for 
> example "how can I draw a line below the headline?". (I actually 
> do not know if this is in the manual). In this case, we (Hans :->
> ) should see this as an opportunity to add a few lines to the 
> manual, so the next time this questions will not be asked again.

I don't know if Hans has enough time to update the documentation 
continually... Perhaps an entry in our list, which can be removed by the 
maintainer if updated documentation becomes available.

> 3) a questions that is related to the installation. For example 
> the texhash or mktexlsr thing. Or the cont-sys.ori/cont-sys.tex 
> stuff. I think these are worth being documented in some extra 
> document.

Shouldn't this go into the existing installation instructions? (Or to 
the faq, in the meantime...)

> 4) bug reports. We do not need to collect them, since one hour 
> later 96% of them are already fixed. Just search the archive if 
> you have some trouble.

One of the greatest things about context, isn't it?

> 5) Questions regarding fonts/encodings. Yuck. I have no clue what to do 
> with them. There is really something that has to be done. I know 
> that there is are docs. But there are a many questions on the 
> list concerning this subject.

Can't say too much about this. But probably mfonts.pdf is not very 
explicit / understandable / complete if there remain so many questions?

> 6) request for improvements. They are probably documented in 
> Hans' privat todo list... I there a need to collect them? I 
> think yes.

We would have to decide what wishes should be put on the todo list. I 
think not everything a single person might want to have can actually be 
included, that's why a todo list with priorities would be useful. One of 
the key factors for determining this priority are certainly Hans' own 
needs and projects, so the best place for the list is in his hands - 
where it is.

> 7) Questions like "How can this feature xyz (just think of gb's 
> indefinate long page that got cut off after each chapter) be 
> achieved? These questions are often very esoteric. But imho they 
> are worth being collected.

That is at least some kind of a faq, isn't it?

> So what is my conclusion? Ignore some questions, improve the 
> documentation where necessary, collect some stuff for an extra 
> doc. We do not need an faq.

Ok, let's call it 'Miscellaneous Madness' instead of faq, in honour of 
its esoteric parts.

Eckhart