BSD

[Chris Borokowski]

The text I mentioned would fit here:

http://www.freebsd.org/where.html

However, as I'm sure you know, documentation has to be
designed as a whole. What I think is important is
giving experienced but not UNIX-experienced computer
users (Mac, PC, Amiga, VMS, etc) a chance to get a
top-level view of the install process.

One of the rules of my profession is not to assume
that someone is an idiot, but to write for someone
whose distraction, lack of time, chaotic surroundings,
etc. make them require very explicit and simplified
directions. Applies equally to genius physicists and
addled (retired) parental units.

In general, I like much of what the FreeBSD team has
done with the documentation, but feel I can offer a
more generalized (not UNIX-exclusive) viewpoint and
thus perhaps make it more accessible to people with
the ability but not the experience to use it. 

(In lieu of introduction, I'm a former Mac user and
current Windows user who, when it's time for fun,
kicks on the BSD machine and plays. However, I've been
a UNIX user since the mid-1980s, so it's not entirely
a new world to me. I'm also a consultant/developer who
migrated to tech writing to "make the world better,"
so probably have a wide foolish idealistic streak.)

--- Jeroen Ruigrok van der Werven
<asmodai at in-nomine.org> wrote:

> -On [20070605 20:23], Chris Borokowski
> (athloi at yahoo.com) wrote:
> >Suggested top of page text:
> 
> [snip suggestion]
> 
> Of which page? The link from "Get FreeBSD"?
> 
> >The user is clueless and frustrated, but our
> >introductory docs are often obfuscated.
> 
> Too much technospeak, true. On the other hand, Unix
> is also not quite for the
> faint at heart. So we do need to strike a balance
> somewhere. IIRC you are also
> a technical writer, so I think when it comes to
> defining audience you and I
> both agree we do expect a basic proficiency in both
> computer software and
> computer hardware.
> 
> Then again (rant-mode on), despite the overhaul on
> the frontpage it is still
> cluttered. It is nice to have beastie there, but:
> 
> 1) I thought the new FreeBSD logo was supposed to
> totally replace it for
>    various reasons,
> 2) it takes up valuable screen estate (which already
> is being wasted by
>    centering the page and throwing away left and
> right margins (which we try
>    to balance out by using a miniscule font-size
> setting).
> 
> -- 
> Jeroen Ruigrok van der Werven
> <asmodai(-at-)in-nomine.org> / asmodai
> イェルーン ラウフロック ヴァン デル
> ウェルヴェン
> http://www.in-nomine.org/ | http://www.rangaku.org/
> Life can only be understood backwards, but it must
> be lived forwards...
> 


User Interface design blog
http://user-advocacy.blogspot.com/
Code::Design::UI::Consulting
http://www.dionysius.com/


 
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