Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Wed, 27 Dec 2006, Greg Mayman wrote:

> On Sat, 23 Dec 2006 04:11:17 +0000 (UTC), sindi keesan wrote:
>
> > I agree that he is an ingrate, but he still performed a useful service by
> > pointing out where newbies have problems.
>
> Why are you calling me an ingrate? I am very grateful for what
> useful advice I have received here.

Maybe our mails crossed, but after at least two of us tried to answer your 
questions, you wrote again saying how impossible BL was to use.  That 
struck me as ungrateful.  If you still have your first couple of mails, 
read them over from the viewpoint of the rest of us, particularly Steven.

> But I have also received so much abuse, most of it over the fact
> that I _dared_ to express my frustration with a bit of software
> that wouldn't work, and with the lack of any helpful
> documentation.

Try expressing your frustration in different terms, letting us know that 
you do not know how to use BL, and could not find the solutions in the 
available documentation, not that BL is unusable.

> Let me say just this: A chain is only as strong as its weakest
> link. The weak link with BasicLinux, at least with the version I
> downloaded, is its documentation which is frankly, m' dear,
> APPALLING in its parcity!

Do Aussies pronounce parcity to rhyme with paucity?

How would you modify the website, the readme, and the HINTS to make them 
work better?

> > I don't know if he actually got our emails (or postings to the archive) -
> > can you tell?
>
> Yes, I am getting the emails, eventually.
>
> But I have a life outside of emailing, and sometimes I don't connect
> for days at a time.
>
> That's the way I do things.

> If you don't like it, then that's just too bad!

This is what I meant about attitude.  At least read everything people have 
written before you start replying.

> > Yes he was a jerk, but an informative one.
>
> Maybe I was. I am sorry if I upset all of you.

I accept the apology if you promise not to do it again ;=)

> But the abuse I have received for daring to criticise BasicLinux
> has more than made up for it.

I think only one person abused you, the others expressed annoyance that 
you complained of bad advice, that came from bad advisors that you chose.

> Why can't you people realize that someone who has never seen BL
> before is going to find it hard, especially when there is no
> documentation readily visible with the download?

You don't really mean 'no' documentation.

There are other programs which come with less documentation and refer you 
to their website.  Links browser is much worse documented.

I would like to see more info at the website about how the versions 
differ (ramdisk, loop and ext2).  And more specific instructions on how to 
load X before trying to run Links2 graphical, Sylpheed, etc.  And the fact 
that Abiword and Links2 need at least 15-bit color and Xvesa does not work 
with 8-bit color.

keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org