Setup.exe sugestion/annoyance

[Larry Hall (RFK Partners, Inc.)]

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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