Re: Docmentation/FAQs

[David Tangye <..hidden..>]

On Fri, 2006-09-22 at 07:54 -0700, Joshua D. Drake wrote:

> Your reasons can be solved by other mechanisms as well. Latex is just 
> the one that current users are used to, and new users will run from like 
>   it was a flaming building. (just my not so humble opinion)
I agree. I think its important to consider who are 'users'.
	Programmer types, including many current users who are here, other
technically proficient people, developers - latex is fine.
	Documentation writers here - well I for one am unlikely be able to take
the time to learn latex/tex, unless someone can show me a fasttrack to
learn enough to make it run. And that I seriously doubt, as I expect
people knowledgeable in it to say 'Here its really easy', and I say
'What isn't once you know it.'
	Book-keeper types, the main users I think: should be considered
foremost, ahead of the others. Almost none are going to *remotely*
understand how to do all this programming stuff to make even the
slightest change to a template using latex.

I repeat though: this thread is about documentation/faqs. I do not see
that this should have any relationship to the system printing, reports
etc and whatever mechanism is used there for users to make changes. That
is a total different issue. Documentation development infrastructure is
for programmer types and document writers. The system printing needs to
keep book-keepers and their capabilities in mind. Time and again I see
people here confusing who uses are.

As stated before, in the Quality system the number one consideration is
'Customer Focus'. I think the customer is essentially the book-keeper,
but I get the feeling that much of the focus here is on us: programmers,
developers and analysts/documentation writers.