Subject: Linux-Activists - DOC Channel digest. 94-0-21-8:32
From: "Linux Activists" <[email-masked]>
To: "Linux-Activists" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 1994 12:53:20 +0200

Topics:
	 alpha User's Guide and the State of the Onion

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From: Karl Fogel <[email-masked]>
Subject: alpha User's Guide and the State of the Onion
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 1994 06:01:59 +0200

Larry Greenfield sez:
>I've uploaded a pre-pre-alpha version of the User's Guide to
>ftp.stolaf.edu. Since I work on multiple computers, not all of whom are
>connected to the net, there are a few things I've done to the file
>"shell2.tex" that aren't reflected in the version on the ftp site. Karl
>Fogel may or may not be working with "starting.tex", but I haven't annoyed
>him since he wrote the chapter on Emacs that looks extremely nice.

        Yeep, thanks, Larry, for the kind words.  Not sure if the
mailing list is the place to say it, but the reason nothing else has
been happening from me is that my usual level of busy-ness kicked into
new dimensions recently, as a side project modifying Emacs to edit
gene sequences turned into a full-time job.  Anyway, I'll be moving to
Illinios soon to work on this gene editor with some molecular
biologists; hopefully, once things settle down, I will indeed be able
to do some more docs.  Right now I've been trying to do the job
remotely from Ohio; the Net is a nice thing, but this arrangement is
still inconvenient.

        I recently downloaded and printed out the NAG and KHG and was
*so* impressed.  I really do believe that the DOC project is necessary
for Linux's health -- not everyone can read the source code, or has
time.  I will print out the alpha UG and take a look at what needs to
be done, and

                      ... dang it! ...

        will DO something.  I hope others are similarly inspired when
the see the quality of some of the docs out there.

>Mostly, this has been a big disappointment. From about 10 to 15 people who
>said they'd write something that I could (edit and) include into the
>documentation, I have received 1 chapter, not including Karl's. It is
>currently included verbatim. Suggestions on structure would be most
>appreciated.

        Mmph.  That sounds painful.  Perhaps if we tried again with
explicit deadlines early on and even rough page-quantity (dangerous,
perhaps...) commitments from people, things will work out better.
Believe me, I understand how time you thought you had can disappear in
a flash, but this project is really worth it.

- Karl, hoping he will be able to mean what he says.

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End of DOC Digest
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