Re: Setup.exe sugestion/annoyance

["Larry Hall (RFK Partners, Inc.)" <lhall at rfk dot com>]

Igor Pechtchanski wrote:
> On Wed, 21 May 2003, Steve Fairbairn wrote:
>
>
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Christopher Faylor [mailto:cgf-rcm@cygwin.com]
> > > Sent: 21 May 2003 15:33
> > > To: cygwin@cygwin.com
> > > Subject: Re: Setup.exe sugestion/annoyance
> > >
> > > Primer on how not to get free software problems fixed:
> > >
> > > 1) Download free software.
> > >
> > > 2) Notice that the free software doesn't work exactly the way you want.
> > >
> > > 3) Assume that the reason the free software doesn't work the way you
> > >   want it to is because someone is missing something very obvious.
> > >   Do no research to prove that theory.  Assume that you are the
> > >   very first person to notice the problem and decide to scold
> > >   the free software developers.
> > >
> > > 4) Send offended email.
> > >
> > > 5) Receive email from developer telling you why things work the way
> > >   they do.
> > >
> > > 5) Respond in insulting fashion to the developer who volunteers time to
> > >   work on free software.
> > >
> > > 6) Speculate, while doing no research, that the bug in the free software
> > >   program is probably fixable by using a proprietary software product
> > >   available for purchase for many $$$.
> > >
> > > 6) Suggest that bug in free software was purposely introduced.
> > >
> > > 7) Wait for problem to be fixed, basking in the warm knowledge that you've
> > >   done everything possible to help the volunteer developers of the free
> > >   software.
> >
> > Why isn't this is the FAQ?  I've found usability bug in the FAQ that'd only
> > take the FAQ maintainer seconds to change, by loading it up in Microsoft
> > Word XP, copy and pasting this into it, making it produce new HTML, and
> > saving.
> >
> > What a crime against humanity this is.
> >
> > Steve Fairbairn.
>
>
> Ah, yes, perhaps we should have an "Answers For Dummies" section of the
> FAQ (external, I bet) that repeats all the answers to dummy questions and
> statements, like CGF's answer above, and the sample question/statement
> kindly supplied by Steve.  We might have to distribute it compressed,
> though, as it's likely to fill up with junk pretty quickly.  In fact, we
> should probably have a paid subscription to it. ;-)
> 	Igor


How about a ticker line at the top and bottom of the Cygwin home page
that continuously scrolls a series of questions and answers ad nauseam?
Or maybe we need a Flash pane that would pummel folks with frenetic,
cascading questions and answers in multi-colored text in varying fonts
and point sizes?  That should be an attention grabber, no?  I'm sure it
will distract folks actually trying to *read* the web page but there can't
be more than 2 or 3 of those so it wouldn't be a big deal, right?

Oh and I don't think there should be more than 4 questions that comprise
this barrage.  I know it seems like a small number but if you review the
archives, I think you'll find that this will actually fill the need quite
well.  Of course, if that's overwhelming for some, we can have a "premium"
service that trims out the fat for a fee.

Wha'd ya think?

--
Larry Hall                              http://www.rfk.com
RFK Partners, Inc.                      (508) 893-9779 - RFK Office
838 Washington Street                   (508) 893-9889 - FAX
Holliston, MA 01746


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