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From: js@ibbs.av.org (Jeff Stillinger)
Subject: Re: a monthly FreeBSD magazine (and other *BSD's too)
Followup-To: comp.unix.admin,alt.os.linux,alt.uu.comp.os.linux.questions,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Organization: Coffee Radio Difference Committee
Message-ID: <DJqtos.G70@ibbs.av.org>
References: <4ajc07$sb7@unix2.glink.net.hk> <4al9tu$f33@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com> <4alnqo$1hi@clarknet.clark.net> <4am5uq$r24@agate.berkeley.edu> <4arhgi$f0c@felix.junction.net>
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 1995 18:22:04 GMT
Lines: 46
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Michael Dillon (michael@okjunc.junction.net) wrote:
: Irrelevant. man pages are for gurus, not people who are trying to decide
: which OS will serve their needs.
: Marketing is all about appearances. Without marketing (other than a
: couple pages in Walnut Creek CD-ROM's catalog http://www.cdrom.com) there
: just isn't much marketing materials available for FreeBSD. But for Linux
: there is stuff like the Linux Bible, Linux Sysadmin guide,
: http://www.linux.org.uk and so on.
Ahhh, Michael you seem to have hit the nail on the head. This is the biggest
and most costly error that FreeBSD has. In most cases the man pages are
written very poorly. The only thing that resembles a book is the FAQ. It
can be a waste of time when the FAQ tells you a lot of nothing. Compiling
a kernel can be a adventure to say the least.
FORGET 2.1.0! Start working on the FreeBSD bible, and system admin guide.
Start the documentaion now. The need is no doubt there, just look at all
of the postings here. The "I need help" type. Off the top of my head I
would be willing to bet that you can eliminate 40% or better of this type
traffic.
I hate to put it this way but FreeBSD is at the point of shit or get off the
pot. FreeBSD can be a wonderfull OS if people knew how to use it. This
seems to be the guru's secret right now. If you want to sell disks, and
market an OS new users must be supported. Just think of all the money users
will save by using the book rather than the phone. Maybe you could think
of it this way. Guru programmer types think that a permissions problem is
beneeth them. They think of it as a waste of there time. They end up turning
people off with this attitude. This dose nothing for sales. It is a simple
thing to understand. If you don't want your time wasted, write a book.
From a technoid stand point FreeBSD is better than Linux. From a user stand
point Linux is better than FreeBSD. The only reason that Linux will continue
to kick FreeBSD's butt is the docs. The reason I am waiting on my Linux disk
to arive.
--
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Jeff Stillinger - KB6IBB js@ibbs.av.org
PSC Box 3429 js@red-eft.la.ca.us
Edwards AFB, CA 93524 +1 805 258 7303 8N1
Flight Test Center, crashing aircraft so you don't have too.
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