[ic] Re: [mv] minivend--interchange documentation

[draftd]

OK, just to put things in the right perspective: I was NOT asking for a
cookbook-documentation, or complaining about the docs.
I know that this isn't a drag-and-drop windows program, and I didn't expect
that. I just wanted to suggest an overview of the system. Something to read
before starting with all the tags...
I know it's possible to figure everything out by yourself, but it takes a
lot of time to do so, and it scares of people.
And, sorry if this is the 105th time someone tried to open this discussion.

Tom

----- Original Message -----
From: Barry Treahy, Jr. <Treahy@mmaz.com>
To: <minivend-users@minivend.com>; Interchange Users Group
<interchange-users@minivend.com>
Sent: Friday, September 22, 2000 6:34 PM
Subject: [ic] Re: [mv] minivend--interchange documentation


> Please don't take this wrong, because I was equally guilty of doing this
too, but it
> seems that about every two months there is a group of new users and the
list drowns
> in bitching and complaints about how bad the documentation is as well as
comments on
> how the documentation could be and should be better.
>
> Perhaps as a disclaimer when joining the list, and also placed at the top
of all the
> existing documents, states up front that "Yes, the MV/IC documentation
'As-Is' does
> fall short but that a rewrite is in the works.  Please send comments,
complaints,
> suggestions, recommendations, rewrites, etc to: docs@minivend.com" or
something like
> that.
>
> Additionally, stating a prerequisite minimum system configuration and
skill set
> clearly in the download pages as well as at the beginning of the documents
might give
> people a better picture that MV and IC are not shrink-wrapped Windozes
programs, but
> that experience and elbow-grease is recommended...
>
> This might save us all from these sessions that do not ever seem to solve
any
> problems and simply contributes to the individual frustrations of this
list.
>
> Regards,
>
> Barry
>
> draftd wrote:
>
> > ******    message to minivend-users from "draftd" <draftd@hotmail.com>
******
> >
> > Hello,
> > After reading most of the documentation I could find about interchange,
I
> > would like to give a few personal remarks. Not that I want to hurt
people by
> > commenting on their work, but because they really asked for comments on
the
> > documentation.
> >
> > What I think is needed most for new users is just a very basic "quick
> > interchange introduction".  so for example:
> > -a brief explanation of the fact that interchange relies on a server
that
> > creates html-pages on-the-fly.
> > -You can adjust this page-creation and all kinds of database-operations
by
> > the interchange-tags, but they aren't in the actual html-pages. They're
> > needed to build the pages.
> > -interchange uses a cgi-script that points to the pages. So their aren't
any
> > pages in the cgi-bin, pages are in /pages/
> > -and most importent: a detailed description of the code of a few pages:
eg.
> > the index.html, lefside, and a few other. Of course not all of the
pages. I
> > think it will help new users more to look at a few pages, their code and
the
> > explanation of what's happening than reading throughout the whole
> > all-covering tag reference: what does the ui_template there, this [area]
tag
> > is used here for...., this is an image from the /thums/ dir etc.
> > -.....
> >
> > I know all these things are fully covered in the reference guide, but if
you
> > don't know any of the above, it's hard to distinguish between important
> > things and "nice add-ons".
> > Am I right or just writing a lot of qlksjfghfhgq ?
> >
> > kind regards,
> > Tom
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Greg (Sonny) Cook <sonny@akopia.com>
> > To: <minivend-users@minivend.com>
> > Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 9:30 PM
> > Subject: [mv] minivend--interchange documentation
> >
> > > ******    message to minivend-users from "Greg (Sonny) Cook"
> > <sonny@akopia.com>     ******
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi all,
> > > By way of introduction, I am one of the developers at Akopia.  I have
> > > taken on (bravely IMHO) the task of documentation organization for our
> > > next release of intervend.  Even though I am personally opposed to
> > > documentation, I have a grand vision for a complete set of documents
of
> > > the project.  Kind of everything from "What's a computer?" to
"minichange
> > > hacker" level.  There is of course an already extant and rather
copious
> > > corpus avaliable from Mike.  I've noticed it's still pretty hard to
get
> > > going though.  At any rate, rather than share my concerns with the
present
> > > state of the documentation, I'd like to determine what sort of
> > > documentation people would like to see.  Also what do you think we
could
> > > do to the current documentation to improve it.  If you're feeling
really
> > > ambitious, you could even write all of the documentation I want for me
> > > :-}.
> > >
> > > Currently I am combing through the mailing list archives, trying to
rescue
> > > usefull information from the past.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Sonny Cook
> > >
> > >
> > > -
> > > To unsubscribe from the list, DO NOT REPLY to this message.  Instead,
send
> > > email with 'UNSUBSCRIBE minivend-users' in the body to
> > Majordomo@minivend.com.
> > > Archive of past messages:
http://www.minivend.com/minivend/minivend-list
> > >
> > -
> > To unsubscribe from the list, DO NOT REPLY to this message.  Instead,
send
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Majordomo@minivend.com.
> > Archive of past messages: http://www.minivend.com/minivend/minivend-list
>
> --
>
> Barry Treahy, Jr  *  Midwest Microwave  *  Vice President & CIO
>
> E-mail: Treahy@mmaz.com * Phone: 480/314-1320 * FAX: 480/661-7028
>
>
>
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