> Note that the new top-level domain (TLD) .info is likely to
> come on line soon, perhaps in the next few months. It will
> look odd at first, but the crowding of the .com TLD means
> that the new TLDs are likely to get populated rather
> quickly.
I would be inclined to say that while it might be a good idea to set up
www.faqs.info as a parallel address to faqs.org, (assuming that the cost of
domain registration would not be too high) that would not invalidate the
idea of creating "special" domains in the faqs.org namespace.
In fact why not call rtfm -> mit.faqs.org and set up similar names for some
of the other archive sites? (the nameserver would only saw that
mit.faqs.org was really rtfm.mit.edu so there would be no problem if mit
rearranged their network.) Setting up a nl.faqs.org or a ca.faqs.org would
not only make sense on a "heristic serach of the domain name" basis, but
could also allow for regional mirroring to improve performance. (if the
nl.faqs.org server were to also have the information that is kept on the US
site, a user in europe could access the information without waiting for it
to trickle across the ocean.)
Remember the idea is to help folks find answers so that they can ask NEW
questions rather than the same old ones..
AS far as the other topics lately (I am trying to keep down to one post a
week) If someone asks an FAQ question in a newsgroup, I would be tempted
to mail them to read the FAQ. (I believe the answer is in part XII of the
FAQ, you can get it at ....)
As far a flash vs contents of web pages, I think you can have attractive
content without hiding you message in so much glitz that it is hard to use.
I have deliberatly kept my main computer as a win 3.11 machine, and so I
don't do Java! (In fact I just got turned away by a new bank site on the
weekend.)
The point is we can have several paths that converge, so that a newbie can
find that there is a firm starting point to get into the flow. faqs.org is
probably as good a place to set up that starting point than anywhere else.
I often use AltaVista to find things, but I am paid to manage information,
I would hate to send a newcomer out into that jungle alone. I hope that
Kent does not mind everyone sugesting how to use the faqs.org domain.
I think that you can do a page that will grab the newbie without having to
be so graphical that the page will not run in lynx. I found a site called
CAST Bobbie ( I think it was with CAST.ORG but don't quote me), that has a
html checker that will show the barriers for the handicapped on a web page.
I did put a link to their page on my start page at
http://www.achilles.net/~cmacd/ I think it is about half way down.
As I have previously mentioned I put my faqs up as web pages, and just use
lynx to get a text version to post. I have used a coloured background to
"spiff" the page up, but have resisted the temptation to use a background
image in the interest of clarity. have a look at
http://www.achilles.net/~cmacd/sk-sou.html to see the page, it will look
"almost" the same in lynx.
One sour note I noticed last week was a slight put-down of the uninformed
user. I prefer to think of the new user as confused and overwhelmed,
rather than unsmart. Those of us who have taken the challenge of bridging
that gap have to try to do a lot of coaching. I hope given human nature
that the example letter from the lazy "c" person is really the exception.
If Not, we can sigh and shake our heads and mutter "there is no royal
road...".
Charles MacDonald - Information Management - NHQ
HRDC Banyan Mail : MacDonald.c@phii.faa.ad@nhq
HRDC Web Mail : macdonald.c@gw019348.hq-ac.prv
Work SMTP Mail : charles.macdonald@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
Personal SMTP Mail : cmacd@achilles.net