To have a manual that is complete and current would take a lot of time and effort not only to write the manual, but to also keep it current. I would suggest that if someone wants to take the trouble to write and update the manual, they could have a pay site with the manual on it. They could charge a nominal annual membership fee. Then the members could have access to the manual all year and the writer or writers would have a least received some compensation for their effort.
I realize that this would not be a big money making effort, but it would be helpful to the members and provide some compensation to the writer. It could even be presentated as an ebook which could be downloaded. The members would be able to get an up dated ebook as changes, corrections, and additions are added. I think that if the annual membership was reasonable, enough people would subsribe to make it feasilbe. I would be glad to provide help with a web site and producing the ebook. Just my humble suggestion, Tom I ----- Original Message ----- From: brian_z111 To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:13 AM Subject: [amibroker] Re: Help Manual Howard hasn't posted for a while. We can't presume... he is a volunteer also and doesn't make much money out of his books... unless AB is paying? It comes down to Tomasz. Hopefully Herman is talking to Tomasz. Herman is very good in that role. Remember that Herman, Tomasz and I have worked together before. We know each other quite well, in that regard e.g they know I am a bit grumpy to work with and Herman knows the way I like to work...I always wanted to have an open format.... there was support for a Wiki Help Manual at the ATP.... in the workforce I found out that people can be trusted... if you trust them they won't let you down. I used to post my files on the company intranet, without any protection, and no one ever did them any harm. We should have learnt the lessons from the UKB and now we need to move on to markII - I hope it wasn't all for nothing - we are so close. It would be a shame to waste all of it. brian_z --- In [email protected], "lou" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > This is one post I strongly agree with. Perhaps Howard should be brought > into the discussion on how to help finance a new book. Perhaps a guaranteed > number of sales or whatever. > > PS - The many many good ideas raise hope that this time a solution will > indeed be found. > > lou howard > ===================================================== > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "sidhartha70" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 2:57 AM > Subject: [amibroker] Re: Help Manual > > > > Brian is right that the Help manual is incomplete and inadequate. > > > > I don't buy the argument that "we shouldn't expect it to be complete > > because AmiBroker is cheap". > > > > I know it's just TJ and Marcin, but that's TJ's choice. I've stated > > before, and I'll state again, I would happily pay $500 for AmiBroker > > IF it had great on-line help manuals. IF it had something along the > > lines of a decent beginners, intermediate and advanced users guide. > > And I'm sure new incremental users would come on board as AmiBroker > > becomes more 'accessbile' to the masses. > > > > I took the plunge with AmiBroker, and there is absolutely no doubting > > it's a fine product. > > > > The users of AmiBroker deserve to get the same support as they would > > if they chose to purchase one of the C# based alternatives - namely > > Ninja, RightEdge or OpenQuant etc. IF they have to pay more for that > > support, then so be it... TJ can hire someone to work solely on new > > user guides for the next 6 months. Shouldn't cost too much. > > > > Let's pretend that Howard produces a 'beginners' book for AmiBroker, > > then another one for more advanced users, say focusing on the custom > > backtester... suddenly we've got three books for AmiBroker coming in > > at $50 each... that's $150. > > > > Personally I'd be happy with either solution. A Howard provided > > alternative that costs $150, or an in-house AmiBRoker one that adds > > $150 to AB price. > > > > But let's at least have one of the two alternatives. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Steve Dugas" <sjdugas@> wrote: > >> > >> Jeez Brian, even TJ admits that everything is not perfect, but there > > are > >> only 24 hours in a day and how much harder do you think he can work? > > He is > >> human like the rest of us, if you spot an error or ommision, just > > report it > >> so he can fix it. > >> > >> Steve > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "brian_z111" <brian_z111@> > >> To: <[email protected]> > >> Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 7:08 PM > >> Subject: [amibroker] Help Manual > >> > >> > >> > > >> > There are far too many Help Manual questions posted in this forum. > >> > > >> > This takes up our valueable time answering questions that should have > >> > been answered by AmiBroker. > >> > > >> > In fact they waste far more time than OT posts. > >> > > >> > Our precious time would be far better spent answering more interesting > >> > questions. > >> > > >> > Some of the features in AB aren't explained in the manual, some things > >> > are out of date and sometimes the explanations are a bit cryptic. > >> > > >> > Example: > >> > > >> > Prettify was added to the Formula Editor in beta version 5.04 > >> > - included in devlog under version 5.05 Feb08 > >> > - official release v5.10 in June08 which includes manual 5.10 > >> > > >> > Ami website PDF manual is still version 5.00 > >> > > >> > - Search PDF for prettify == nothing > >> > - Search AB manual version 5.1 for prettify == nothing > >> > - Use AB site search engine == nothing > >> > - Google amibroker.com == 3 hits from devlog > >> > - devlog records release but has no info about it and no > > explanation in > >> > the read me > >> > - searched KB == nothing > >> > - searched UKB == nothing > >> > > >> > The screenshot of the FE edit dropdown menu, in the Help Manual is out > >> > of date (at least it looks different to my version 5.10) > >> > > >> > http://www.amibroker.com/guide/w_afledit.html > >> > > >> > The Devlog just says that the Prettify function was added ... > > looked in > >> > the AFL function list and couldn't find anything... is it a > > function or > >> > a function()? > >> > > >> > New features should be explained in the official help manual that > > comes > >> > out immediately after the beta inclusion. > >> > We should not have to search elsewhere but even if we do we, in this > >> > case, we still find nothing. > >> > > >> > It shouldn't be up to volunteers to explain help manual items in this > >> > forum, or the UKB, or anywhere else. > >> > > >> > It saves AB some effort if they don't have to keep the manual up to > >> > date but the effort is transferred to the volunteers, who have to > >> > answer it scores of times, instead of AB answering it once. > >> > > >> > If we all took the rationalist approach, that some people are > >> > advocating e.g. "users should have skills or lower their sights or pay > >> > Graham", and charged AB for the time we spend providing AB support > > then > >> > the program would cost thousands of dollars and wouldn't look so > > cheap, > >> > up against other software, afterall > >> > > >> > brian_z > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > ------------------------------------ > >> > > >> > Please note that this group is for discussion between users only. > >> > > >> > To get support from AmiBroker please send an e-mail directly to > >> > SUPPORT {at} amibroker.com > >> > > >> > For NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENTS and other news always check DEVLOG: > >> > http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/ > >> > > >> > For other support material please check also: > >> > http://www.amibroker.com/support.html > >> > Yahoo! Groups Links > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Please note that this group is for discussion between users only. > > > > To get support from AmiBroker please send an e-mail directly to > > SUPPORT {at} amibroker.com > > > > For NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENTS and other news always check DEVLOG: > > http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/ > > > > For other support material please check also: > > http://www.amibroker.com/support.html > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >
