I'm sorry, but I'm desperet

[Janina Sajka]

Let me agree that, particularly with ALSA, reading the docs is
important.

But, so is the criticism of docs relevant. ALSA, in particular, should
stop doing the shtml include thing and symply point to the
basics--here's how to download, etc.

But, I suppose it's a Suse cultural thing. They definitely don't
document the way I document--or the way tldp.org does even.


Gregory Nowak writes:
> From: Gregory Nowak <greg at romuald.net.eu.org>
> 
> By asking if Chris had read the docs, I was simply attempting to
> determine which parts of the configuration he was specifically having
> trouble with. Configuring alsa can be an involved process, and I
> didn't want to give an unnecessarily long explanation, when I could
> have spent the same amount of time addressing a particular issue in
> more detail.
> 
> Also, I am finding that I need to ask people if they have read the
> documentation, as unfortunate as that may be. The sad fact is that
> most people expect someone else to do everything for them, while they
> expect to learn nothing about it, and take advantage of the other
> person's work on their behalf at the same time. I don't mind teaching
> and explaining whatever I can. However I do mind if someone just
> expects me to do all the work for them because they're to
> lazy/impatient to read up on the procedure themselves. Note that I am
> not implying here that Chris has either of these traits, I am just
> stating what I have met with, when asked to help someone with
> something in the past.
> 
> While I also understand that newbys can be frustrated if something
> doesn't work as expected (I was there myself once), lashing out at
> someone who bothers to take their free time to try and help you, may
> discourage that individual in the future from trying to help others,
> and that wouldn't be to any person's advantage.
> 
> Greg
> 
> 
> On Wed, Sep 17, 2003 at 10:50:26PM -0400, Ann Parsons wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > 
> > The question about whether someone had read the manual can, in some
> > cases, become a match that sets off an explosion.  If Chris has been
> > reading the manual, and something isn't clear that is preventing the
> > Alsa drivers from compiling properly, then he needs help to interpret
> > what he has read.  Sometimes reading the manual compounds the
> > problem.  
> > 
> > I think that Chris would be better served if his questions were
> > answered rather than inquiring as to his competency in reading man
> > pages.  
> > 
> > "Have you read the manual?", is a easy, quick and dirty solution to
> > someone's problem.  I know that it is important to understand
> > documentation, but sometimes one needs to talk to a human, not a
> > manual.  Sounds like Chris has been struggling with alsa for a long
> > time.  I can't help, don't know enough.  However, I do know that
> > configuring Alsa can be complicated and frustrating.  Let's not get a
> > bad rep like the Emacspeak list, guys.  Somebody, please give this guy
> > a hand.  
> > 
> > Ann P.
> >  
> > -- 
> > 			Ann K. Parsons  
> > email:  akp at eznet.net 			
> > WEB SITE:  http://home.eznet.net/~akp
> > "All that is gold does not glitter.  Not all those who wander are lost."  JRRT
> > 
> > 
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-- 
	
				Janina Sajka, Director
				Technology Research and Development
				Governmental Relations Group
				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

Email: janina at afb.net		Phone: (202) 408-8175