discuss: [tfox@redhat.com: HOWTO doc's in 7.3]
Subject:
Re: [tfox@redhat.com: HOWTO doc's in 7.3]
From:
Tabatha Persad ####@####.####
Date:
12 May 2002 20:01:34 -0000
Message-Id: <20020512200107.TPMX22408.rwcrmhc53.attbi.com@there>
Hal,
I relate completely! I tried to do editing for one of the howtos only to find
out the original author is gone without a trace, no email, no web site.
After several bounced emails, I have had to move on to try my luck editing
another document, but it does leave me frustrated. The HOWTO still has some
value, but with the author gone, I have no idea what's going to happen next.
There's now this big hole in the wall where there used to be an author.
I would also love a definitive procedure for authors who abandon their
documents; is there one? Joy is aware of this now "authorless" document, so
I suppose it's dealt with, but it left me with this feeling of incompleteness
on my part.
As sad as it is when an author decides they no longer want to maintain their
work, these documents are typically free-licensed. That should give the
green light for someone else to hop in and update or refresh old information
IMHO, as well as take credit. Who knows, it may give the original author a
reason to come back and take a renewed interest in their own document.
I guess being a writer by trade I just can't understand why someone would
abandon their work. However I think it's not a strong enough reason to allow
a document to become outdated or obsolete. A strong effort to get these
documents revised and back into circulation with recent info would be
something I would totally support.
Tabatha
On Sunday 12 May 2002 15:33, Hal Burgiss wrote:
> > You missed the real point. I don't mind the misspelling so much, as it
> > happens all the time. I think the total lack of acknowledgement to
> > multiple emails over several months is unacceptable behavior. A one
> > line reply to my third email that said 'will fix next year' would have
> > been fine with me. Is a one line email that much trouble for anybody?
> > In no way would I expect him, or asked him, for a new release to fix
> > this. Just that it be done 'at some time'. And to ask to acknowledge
> > the existance of one of his contributors (actually the only
> > contributor), is not too much to ask IMO. In fact, I find it really
> > bizarre and totally rude. If I get this kind of treatment as a
> > contributor, I doubt he was answering other mail on his (nice) HOWTO.
> > I was adding this for emphasis on this problem of authors that go
> > 'missing'. There needs to be a better mechanism for authors that
> > silently abandon their docs. That was what I was _trying_ to say. I've
> > got three docs this way now (because of persistant failure to reply
> > to mail, and all were listed as 'maintained' BTW, and none were
> > bounces either).
>
> PS -- At the same time I was trying to submit corrections for blatant
> errors in the doc too, but needed to feed these to him first.
--
Tabatha Persad
Web: http://www.merlinmonroe.com
The Linux Counter Project Area Manager US:wa (http://counter.li.org)
Linux Documentation Project Editor (http://www.tldp.org)
Gnu Writing Movement Project Developer (http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gwm)
