discuss: Stale Docs (was: My obsolete HOWTOs being sold as a book)
Subject:
Stale Docs (was: My obsolete HOWTOs being sold as a book)
From:
"Patrick K. O'Brien" ####@####.####
Date:
1 Mar 2001 15:48:53 -0000
Message-Id: <NBBBIOJPGKJEKIECEMCBKENCJIAA.pobrien@orbtech.com>
I have to say that I don't think scary licensing or boycotting is the answer
to this problem. I think the solution is twofold. First, readers need to
take a certain amount of responsibility in making sure they are reading the
latest version of a doc. Second, we need to make it as easy as possible for
readers to find the latest version of a doc. I think the LDP is doing a good
job of both of these, and certainly the latest cleanup/database effort will
make things even better.
So how do we give users the tools to take on that responsibility in the
easiest/friendliest way possible? I think there are plenty of models for
this on the software side. Debian provides a good solution. They supply a
packaging standard and installation tools for users and developers as well
as websites with the latest (more or less) versions of everything. Perl has
CPAN, etc.
The role that I think LDP should play is to provide a standard for
documentation, tools for meeting those standards and a central repository of
the latest documentation.
<soapbox>
Along those lines, I would personally like to see the LDP move away from the
current classification scheme that requires one to decide up front whether
to look for a guide, howto, mini, etc. Every time I go to the LDP I am
looking for the answer to a question about a topic. I couldn't care less
what form that answer takes and it aggravates me to have to look in multiple
places. Sure I can do a search, but that has its own drawback. I'm not
saying that the classification scheme has no value at all. I just don't
think it should be the driving force behind how the documents are accessed
via the website.
Imagine going to a library to find a book and having to know in advance
whether it was a big book or a little book, whether it was hardcover or
softcover, whether it had pictures or was all text. Those are all useful
attributes about a book but shouldn't dictate how I go about *finding* the
darn thing. Subject, author, title - those are the primary attributes. Why
doesn't the LDP have navigation based on subject, author and title?
</soapbox>
---
Patrick K. O'Brien
Orbtech (http://www.orbtech.com)
"I am, therefore I think."
