Re: Looking at were we are...

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Kent Landfield (kent@landfield.com)
Fri, 21 May 1999 18:25:00 -0500 (CDT)

# The numbers indicate that half of the FAQs haven't been updated in the
# last 6 months, but there's no indication that authors aren't updating
# "as often anymore", i.e. that updates were more frequent in the past.

Ok. Point taken but there were less abandoned FAQs in the past and the
number is growing. That's obvious.

# I wrote a FAQ some time ago and, for whatever reason, later abandoned
# it. As far as I know, it's still in the archives. I think it's better
# that it stay there, outdated as it is, rather than I remove it
# completely. It might still be useful for someone.

While that may be the case for your topic area, it may not be for others.

# As time goes by, the number of abandoned FAQs will increase. That's only
# to be expected.

Is it ? Why ? Why does the process seem to foster that idea. Why aren't
they being handed off to others to maintain ? Why doesn't the process allow
for removal of abandoned FAQs ?

# > Second, of the 3402 FAQs checked, 1261 of them have URL auxiliary
# > headers that point to the FAQ's home page. While this is a good
# > thing to include due to the timeliness of updates on some archives,
# > it indicates a perception by the authors that the web is the
# > authoritative point for their FAQs.
#
# I mention an URL on several of my FAQs, and I strongly disagree that
# this means that I perceive "that the Web is the authoritative point" for
# them. It's just another place to get them, that's all, and I mention
# them for people who might find it more convenient.
#
# Sometimes I answer a question by saying "this is covered in the FAQ:
# see section 7". It's a lot more useful to continue by saying "... and
# you can get the FAQ at http://...", rather than "... and wait 2 weeks
# for the FAQ to appear in the group".

:) By stating what you just did you told the reader to go to the web
first. :-) You could have said get it from rtfm.mit.edu but you didn't.
In the perception of the reader is appears you prefer the web over the
Usenet distribution. That was my point.

-- 
Kent Landfield                        Phone: 1-817-545-2502             
Email: kent@landfield.com             http://www.landfield.com/
Email: kent@nfr.net                   http://www.nfr.net/
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