Re: (long) Re: [ode] Re: cart before the horse


Peter Elliott (axit@paradise.net.nz)
Fri, 14 Jan 2000 14:47:46 +1300


Deb Richardson
At 02:46 13/01/00 -0500, in archive/latest/81 you wrote:
Much that was sound and would have agreement from all i should think. For
my part there was no questioning the validity of your criticisms. Though
rather than walking the baby walk perhaps even crawling a little, to begin,
would help? <grinning frantically>

Now, as to the common purpose come mission statement. I've thought it over
and over so may as well share this for all its brevity.

Abbreviations used:
osd == Open Source Documentation (is this correct?)
osdh == osd Houses ie the publishers, distributers, suppliers of osd to its
user community eg Gnu LDP OSWG Linux/BSD Distros LKbase and so on.

# To facilitate osdh in jointly identifying and working to overcome any
problems & difficulties facing users _and_ producers of osd

# To encourage (and oversee?) the devlopment and provision of such tools
and aids as are aimed at eliminating these problems

# To act as a provider of first off information which will help to enable
users of current osd to get the best possible use of it.

I would have it that these three roles (note, not goals) entail an
underlying respect for the varied environments and formats that osd has
adopted during its long evolution. Further i think it should be stated that
it is not an aim to replace or get rid of any of these. (Hmmm, feel toasted
already)

And that is that. Humble and modest perhaps, but if it is to be done, this
documentation dream of ours, then it will not be done thru imposing grand
monsters on people already hard pressed with the work of keeping a bit of
open source alive and functioning.

cheers
pre

PS: Many will complain at the lack of specificity. But the goals that you
were talking of (in yr original post) are ones yet to be set, and will
surely(?) be *task* related. This last is important. That any goals adopted
are task related, and that their adoption comes out of those discussions
facilitated as per above.
PPS: Apologies for echo-ing nature of this message.



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