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List:       mysql-win32
Subject:    RE: Win32 needs a FAQ?
From:       Armando <dijital () shaw ! ca>
Date:       2004-05-21 4:50:12
Message-ID: 000101c43eef$1a2f9b90$71201cac () IO
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Hi Chris,

I know what you're saying, and in my opinion, an FAQ would be great.
Actually I think what would be even better is a knowledge base. I've
considered developing a web-based MySQL knowledge base (with MySQL as
the db of course) which would feature FAQ's, tutorials, etc. and I think
with the proper input from the listers, it would really be a great
project.

After thinking about it more, I'm not sure I could dedicate the time to
it - it would be a fairly time consuming and challenging project. Plus,
I'm only a basic user with MySQL and databases in general - Many of the
more advanced features are at this time beyond me - the price one must
pay for learning on their own! Not only that, but let's not forget that
the good people at MySQL continue to improve this great product
partially because of the support fees that customers pay. To develop a
free resource may be a good thing for us, but it also could potentially
reduce support revenue for MySQL. If MySQL decides they want to do it,
then they will, but there are reasons!

Either way should you decide you want to give it a go, best of luck to
you! Cheers.

Armando

--------------------------------------------------------------

For the record, I'm not interested in turning this into a
beginner-unfriendly or 'experts-only' list.  Nothing about creating a
FAQ or referring people to the documentation must necessarily be
hostile.  There's plenty of room to reduce the redundancy of the list
(and thereby keep the more knowledgeable subscribers from feeling
exploited) while still maintaining its friendliness for beginners.  

It should also be noted that a FAQ improves the list's responsiveness
and accuracy: anyone can refer a questioner to the FAQ immediately, so
the questioner doesn't have to wait for the expert to check in; and with
a FAQ there's less risk of a typo or a misinformed answer communicating
incorrect or inferior information.

Finally, I agree with Samuel and others that the documentation isn't
always Windows-friendly.  It seems to me that the members of this list
could perform at least one public service with a few simple and
reasonably easy steps:

1) perform a quick analysis of the list archives to identify systematic
patterns in question topics

2) for each pattern identified, determine if an adequate (for Windows)
answer exists in the documentation at present
   -- if so, add it to a FAQ as a pointer to the documentation
   -- if not, add it to a FAQ with a proper answer (perhaps as a
supplement to a pointer to the official docs)
   -- where appropriate, identify questions that really fit better with
another mysql list (e.g., about mysqlcc), and add pointers to the
'correct' list.

3) After allowing a suitable period of time for the contents of the FAQ
to settle, invite the documentation team for MySQL to absorb our FAQ
into their efforts, so that over time the Windows-friendliness of the
official documentation increases.  

Does that make sense?  Is anyone interested in reviewing the archive to
identify the common questions, to help get us started?  I think it would
be helpful if some of the longer-time subscribers are involved with
that, since they start with a better sense of pattern already.

--Chris


-----Original Message-----
From: Samuel [mailto:samuel@socal.rr.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 11:53 AM
To: PF: MySQL; win32@lists.mysql.com
Subject: Re: Win32 needs a FAQ?

My main comment is that for the Windows environment, the documentation
of what to do is not clear, is difficult to find and is incomplete. I
think if it was clear that more needs to be done and the description of
what to do was more complete, then there would be less problems. I
really think the documentation empahizes Unix/Linux and Windows has been
overlooked.

It should be possible, though, to automate more of the installation


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