Re: Markup skill hoops (was re: Manisfesto)

[Don Hansford <donh@halenet.com.au>]

David Lawyer wrote:
> 
> On Sat, Oct 28, 2000 at 02:23:51PM +0000, Martin WHEELER wrote:
> > On Mon, 23 Oct 2000, Edward M. Corrado wrote:
> >
> > > ... if a potential contributor needs to learn
> > > a whole new program (to them), such as LinuxDoc or DocBook, or jump
> > > through a number of hoops to submit their documentation, they might just
> > > decide it is not worth the effort.

Kinda looking forward to learning a new skill :-)

> > I whole-heartedly agree.  (Even though I am in favour of all authors
> > eventually achieving proficiency in markup skills.  The two views are
> > neither inconsistent nor mutually incompatible.)
> >
> > However -- and from a purely practical point of view -- the most useful
> > HOWTO information always comes from those who have struggled _hard_ to
> > get something to work; have learned all the ins and outs of so
> > doing; and have amassed a great deal of understanding of just what needs
> > to be done, and in what order, and where the tools to do it may be found
> > -- and want nothing more than to pass on their learning to others.

I agree with that. I am teaching a part-time Linux class, and I have
learnt more in the short time it has been going, than I would have in
years of pottering about on my own system.

> One may maintain a doc that someone else has written without knowing
> that much about the subject.  The maintainer can incorporate
> suggestions from readers (after first checking to see if they are
> correct) and at the same time learn about the subject.  So I would say
> that having someone maintain a doc with some understanding of the
> topic is better than having no one at all maintain it.
> 
> > And THAT is what the LDP requires.
> >
> > Not, I am afraid, a beautifully marked-up chunk of text.

That is right where I come in! My knowledge in many areas is broader
than it is deep. Perhaps I have been spoilt by SuSE, with their
excellent admin tool (YasT), but that doesn't mean I can't learn as I go
along. :-)
 
<snipped>
> Unlikely.  I claim one can learn to use a minimal LinuxDoc markup in
> just a few hours.  It may also take an hour or two programming ones
> editor so that just hitting a couple of keys inserts a tag.  What one
> learns by doing this can be of value in learning other markup
> languages and in creating editor "macros".

So is there a list of outstanding tasks available?
I've been using Linux for about 18 months, and now use it exclusively at
home.
I like to think I have a good command of the English language, and have
reasonable document layout skills.
I'm currently doing an introductory course in Python, so I'm beginning
to understand some of the structure of O-O languages, etc.
I want to put back something in return for the joy that the Open Source
concept has rekindled in my computing breast (looks like I'm rather
eloquent, too!).
How can I help?


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Regards Don Hansford
ECKYTECH COMPUTING/
SQIT Warwick
<SuSE Linux 6.4>


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