[mythtv-users] Does MythTV need a Beginner's FAQ Collection?

[Ray Olszewski]

Isaac -- I had initially drafted a lengthy response to your comments below. 
I decided not to send it because this is turning into a fight, and I don't 
feel like fighting. I do need to decide what to do, though.

Here's how I read what you are saying. I get the impression from what you 
write that you think the existing documentation is good (or at least "good 
enough"), that the best that can be said about my efforts is that they are 
harmless (I won't speculate what you think the worst is), and that the only 
reason people keep asking the same questions again and again is because 
they can't be bothered reading the existing docs.

If all this is the case, then my spending time on what I think is improved 
documentation is a waste of time. It is your project, after all, so, in the 
end, your call to make.

Based on my reading of what you have said below and earlier, I am going to 
abandon work on this document. If you or Robert sees any value in what I 
have drafted so far, please feel free to use it in any appropriate way. If 
not, that's OK too. Writing the draft was good practice for me.

If I have misinterpreted your views, please feel free to correct me.

PS. - Thank you to those others here who offered helpful comments and 
encouragement along the way.

At 11:00 PM 6/25/2003 -0400, Isaac Richards wrote:
>On Wednesday 25 June 2003 10:32 pm, Ray Olszewski wrote:
> > Thanks for the feedback, Isaac. Some comments below.
> >
> > At 08:23 PM 6/25/2003 -0400, Isaac Richards wrote:
> > [...]
> >
> > > > 6. How do I get and install MythTV?
> > >
> > >Really think a link to the appropriate section in the howto would be
> > > better, here.
> >
> > And what section would that be?
>
>Sections 3, 4, and 5 cover getting and installing mythtv on a variety of
>platforms.
>
> > Information on CVS is in Section 1 (How to Obtain This Document). It's a
> > good illustration of the improbable locations problem I just mentioned in a
> > response to Robert. I only found it myself by accident, earlier today,
> > because you link to it on the Website.
>
>I would think that the proximity of the 'CVS access' section to the 'Mailing
>Lists' section on the website (you really can't see one without the other)
>would preclude any new user from asking questions about how to get to the CVS
>tree.
>
> > Information on the tarball is, quite reasonably, at the start of Section 5
> > (Downloading and Compiling). But all it says there is: "Get MythTV from the
> > mythtv.org web site. Save the tarball to a directory you can find." I
> > should waste a reader's time and energy with a link to that? I should and
> > will, though, reference the HowTo's section 5.4, which lists the commands
> > needed to unpack and build Myth, instead of the README file in the tarball.
>
>So sections 3 and 4 are completely useless and people shouldn't be reading
>them?
>
> > CVS is not mentioned anywhere in Section 5, BTW ... though I assume the
> > "build" instructions of section 5.4 apply to it too.
>
>If, as you say, this is a 'Beginner's FAQ', then why mention CVS at all?  No
>one should install CVS right off.
>
> > Information on distro-specific packages is ...well, mostly nowhere, as far
> > as I can see. Section 5.6 mentions the Debian-Woody packages, but the HowTo
> > has no mention I can find of the other distros you link to on the Myth
> > Website or of Debian-Sid.
>
>Considering I added those links on the website a grand total of 3 days ago,
>why would they be in the docs yet?
>
> > What is your question?  Idiosyncratic is a good word, one that means
> > exactly what I wanted to say here, while adding that word-of-the-day
> > feeling I like to toss somewhere in anythung lengthy I write. I could have
> > said "not conforming to any industry or Linux standard", but that seemed
> > too wordy and banal.
>
>Try 'native', or 'custom'.