Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 00:21:23 +0000 (GMT) From: Andrew McKay <andy@openirc.co.uk> To: Szilveszter Adam <sziszi@bsd.hu> Cc: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: docs/34038 Message-ID: <20020205235755.P4792-100000@fluoxetine.lan> In-Reply-To: <200202052240.g15Me2S21107@freefall.freebsd.org>
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On Tue, 5 Feb 2002, Szilveszter Adam wrote: SA> I think we have a misunderstanding here. I think that the Handbook ver= y SA> much has info on upgrading, although it probably could be improved. Bu= t SA> this article does not add much to what is already in the Handbook. It adds a coherent methodolody in one defined place. If someone were to come to you and ask 'I've been running FreeBSD 2.x.x for a while now and I feel like upgrading to -STABLE...how do I do it?' would you rather say 'read these 10 chapters of the handbook...they all contain bits of relevant information' or would you rather say 'read the article which describes exactly how to do this?' As a person who might once have asked such a question I know which answer I would rather have received. SA> Of course it is nice that you have it now in one article instead of SA> all over the Handbook, but it is still IMHO duplication. It's duplication but of a specific kind which is not only tolerated but encouraged by the FDP. The Handbook exists as an OS-specific set of instructions on Installing, Configuring and Maintaining FreeBSD. The articles exist as a HowTo-style set of task-specific instructions to enable people to get a job done when they know what they want to do but don't necessarily know what will be involved in doing that task. Straight duplication would be if someone took a chapter of the handbook (i.e. sound) padded it out with a few inane phrases and passed it off as an article. If anyone did this I have no doubt they would be verbally crucified before they could say 'ooops'. SA> That is why it is IMHO better idea to just patch the SA> existing Handbook... If the information in the Handbook is wrong or deficient then by all means point this out and someone will endeavour to correct and/or enhance it. This does not mean that we should stop writing articles purely because the contents of the article are available as small parts of ten chapters of the handbook. I personally don't see these complaints as valid but obviously you do. Please bear in mind that not everyone has the same knowledge as you and not everyone approaches problems in the same way that you do. Some will prefer the handbook and some will prefer articles. The existence of one group need not be to the detriment of the other. Just my =A30.02 --=20 Andrew McKay <andy@openirc.co.uk> To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message
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