That is the main reason I want to create a document that can guide the
newbie, and present straight forward choices.
Our primary goal should be to ensure that the newbie doesn't get
frightened off. What we don't want to do is scare away a potential FAQ
author/maintainer (read: contributor of knowledge to the network
community) by spewing forth a bunch of jargon and rules. Even if the
standards aren't binding, the newcomer will be afraid that he/she is
"doing something wrong."
Which is why the document should start off with the easiest way to
create a FAQ. It should be a standard format, so that the newbie can
have examples of implimentations to look at.
Remember, everyone has their own priorities and outlooks. For example,
I'm kept very busy working on my FAQs. I would LOVE to html'ize them,
but I simply don't have the time. And, in my case, I need extra time to
learn how to do it altogether. I imagine that someday I'll get it done,
but meanwhile, my articles fill a need now.
In addition, I chose a format for my FAQs, and I stick to it. This
format works well for me, and I've had no complaints. If I had to use
another format, well, maybe I wouldn't bother (or maybe I would).
What if you could tweak your format slightly, so as to conform with
rules similar to Tom Fine's, and the HTML version would just magically
appear, with no extra effort on your part? I bet you'd jump at the
chance (assuming the resulting format made sense to your ideas about
presentation).
I think Tom's format is pretty straight-forward, but we might decide
that something even simpler is needed.
Remember, FAQ writing isn't just for gurus. We want everyone to become
involved, to participate, and contribute. Let's not spook anyone -
rather we should lead them by the hand to help them get acclimated.
Indeed. Let's make that our charter.
So, let's start this section of the document. Let's get a list of what
the beginner needs to know:
* The minimum headers he should use (kewords:, reply-to:, newsgroups:)
* How to format URLs referenced in the document (can someone look up
the official standard?)
* How often to post (note the typical scroll rate of Usenet messages,
how to format the expires header field)
* where to find other information once you go beyond the simple stage
* a simple, beginning format, that defines how to delineate sections,
how to present Q&A sections, how to mark revisions (or not), etc.
* what else?
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