Subject: Linux-Activists - DOC Channel digest. 93-4-9-0:39
From: "Linux Activists" <[email-masked]>
To: "Linux-Activists" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 05:13:34 +0300

Topics:
	 Another point to consider 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Greg Naber <[email-masked]>
Subject: Another point to consider 
Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 03:26:09 +0300

I personally consider it a shame that the most often question
that I am asked, is the same one that Vince asked the other day,

How can I read this so called documentation? When I try to look at it with
more/less or attempt to print it, alls I see is a bunch of garbage.

When I see valid questions about various programs in comp.os.linux, the
reply's always state, look at the documentation, that is what it's there for.

So we are sending everyone to the docs to read them and they are again up
against a blank wall, looking at a bunch of characters that are tossed in
between/amongst text strings. 

Or, we refer them to the FAQ, which doesn't say anything about how to read
this documentation either... let along attempt to print it...

I once saw someone state on this channel, that the documentation, would
also be available in ascii format, for those that have no understanding,
or no interest in learning how to use
TeX/emacs/Interview/Xwindows/what.have.you type programs.

Is this still the intentions? Are we going to have ascii versions available?

I think that an ascii version of some of the fine work that is being done
would benefit the new Linux users, allowing them to become informed about
the stuff they are using, before they connect up to the net.

As one who has been active on the internet for some time (years), and one
who has recently converted over a very busy dos based BBS system to a
Linux based BBS system, documentation in ascii format would have been very
helpful in the early stages of the conversion.

I would hated to have been a recent newcomer to Linux and attempted to do 
this, I would have had no idea where to start, because I am required to
investigate programs I have no use for (or don't even know about) - to read
documentation on the programs that are required to set-up a properly
operating system to begin with. Which, of course, I cannot set-up said
programs, till I get the operating system set-up, which I cannot get
set-up, without the documentation to read.....etc.,etc.,etc.,

---
               S'Qually Holler's BBS  +1-206-235-0270
                   Another WaffleIron on Linux!
         For anonymous uucp access, login: nuucp word: nuucp
           uucp squally!/sc2/bbs/filelist.z  filelist.z

------------------------------

End of DOC Digest
*****************
-------