From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: craig@jcb-sc.com To: mrs@wrs.com Cc: craig@jcb-sc.com Subject: Re: Stabilization status Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 09:44:00 -0000 Message-id: <19990219174136.32381.qmail@deer> In-reply-to: < 199902191726.JAA28499@kankakee.wrs.com > (mrs@wrs.com) References: <199902191726.JAA28499@kankakee.wrs.com> <199902191726.JAA28499@kankakee.wrs.com> X-SW-Source: 1999-02/msg00906.html >The texi file is for the really good stuff that you might want to >print into a book and buy a copy of every three years. If the >information you put into the texi file will quickly be out of date or >wrong, better to not put it in the texi file in the first place. This >last point might be contentious. Perhaps a bit... >A classic example of something that expires quickly, are random bugs >in the compiler. The printed form will survive 100+ years, we hope >that the electronic form (the gcc binary people use) doesn't survive a >year. ...one of the things I like about putting complete known-bugs lists in the documentation that accompanies the release of a product is, there's less likelihood someone will be "surprised" by a bug (or deficiency). Still, the proliferation of Web access around the globe does seem to be making for a very different world in this respect. Used to be that the percentage of people who'd end up with a distribution of a free-software product (like g77) *and* could take the time to check out the latest on-line information (g77.plan) without taking a big hit in productivity was too low to simply say "for lists of known bugs, deficiencies, and installation instructions, see ...g77.plan". Such users are somewhat "hibernative" (I'm this way too, in some cases): they get active for awhile, grab everything they can (off the net, off of tape/disk, get printed manuals), and then want (or have) to be able to go into a "cave" (no real net access) somewhere and make use of it all. These users don't appreciate having information deliberately withheld, though they need to recognize some info simply wasn't available during their "gathering time". However, the percentage of such users is much higher now, probably well into the majority (if it wasn't before). So, for a rapidly evolving (bazaar-development-style) project like egcs, it might make sense to kick documentation of the more fluid aspects of the product to the Web pages. tq vm, (burley) From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: craig@jcb-sc.com To: mrs@wrs.com Cc: craig@jcb-sc.com Subject: Re: Stabilization status Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 22:53:00 -0000 Message-ID: <19990219174136.32381.qmail@deer> References: <199902191726.JAA28499@kankakee.wrs.com> X-SW-Source: 1999-02n/msg00905.html Message-ID: <19990228225300.bw3ZV8_sONb-k1T3nZOZqK_1DKSsoSZdgHX10gOhPd8@z> >The texi file is for the really good stuff that you might want to >print into a book and buy a copy of every three years. If the >information you put into the texi file will quickly be out of date or >wrong, better to not put it in the texi file in the first place. This >last point might be contentious. Perhaps a bit... >A classic example of something that expires quickly, are random bugs >in the compiler. The printed form will survive 100+ years, we hope >that the electronic form (the gcc binary people use) doesn't survive a >year. ...one of the things I like about putting complete known-bugs lists in the documentation that accompanies the release of a product is, there's less likelihood someone will be "surprised" by a bug (or deficiency). Still, the proliferation of Web access around the globe does seem to be making for a very different world in this respect. Used to be that the percentage of people who'd end up with a distribution of a free-software product (like g77) *and* could take the time to check out the latest on-line information (g77.plan) without taking a big hit in productivity was too low to simply say "for lists of known bugs, deficiencies, and installation instructions, see ...g77.plan". Such users are somewhat "hibernative" (I'm this way too, in some cases): they get active for awhile, grab everything they can (off the net, off of tape/disk, get printed manuals), and then want (or have) to be able to go into a "cave" (no real net access) somewhere and make use of it all. These users don't appreciate having information deliberately withheld, though they need to recognize some info simply wasn't available during their "gathering time". However, the percentage of such users is much higher now, probably well into the majority (if it wasn't before). So, for a rapidly evolving (bazaar-development-style) project like egcs, it might make sense to kick documentation of the more fluid aspects of the product to the Web pages. tq vm, (burley)