Hi Fred, No hard feelings mate.
Overall I think you mean well... you certainly have shared a lot and have a good community spirit. Pity about your inexplicable tendency to get cranky but I overlooked that many times because of your outstanding community effort. Yoy don't really know me and vice versa. If I wanted to, I could make a far more incisive critique of you, than what can make of me, but I don't do things like that because I am not an ultra-rationalist.... I have a bit more depth to me... I take into account the touchy feely things I know about you and the long term damage it would do to you if I hauled off and smashed you one back. Also... the only times we did go 'tete a tete' for a few seconds I actually out thought you but you didn't even notice. You can see now, that I was ahead of Phsst - the only one who was keeping up with me was Tomasz (or others in the background who remained silent). Definitely you and Phsst weren't even in the play - you were both just jumping up and down on the sideline like dancing girls - entertaining to some but not what we were there for. But of course... you are probably in denial about that. brian_z --- In [email protected], Fred Tonetti <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Understand that the comments below are from someone who has done programming > since long before there were personal computers and been an trader / > investor for almost as long . > > > > IMHO there is from many peoples perspective a deeper issue here . > > > > That issue is that by definition there are more people who are traders / > investors looking for a platform to use then there are programmers who are > looking for a platform. > > > > Therefore the more user friendly the documentation AND the platform are to > use the wider the appeal is . > > > > As an example the typical trader will have many ideas about things that > he/she wants to do. If doing what seems simple to them from a conceptual > perspective is difficult to do from a practical perspective i.e. requires > something more than simple straight forward AFL and some fill in the blanks > parameters they only have a couple of choices . struggle with it for ever, > hire someone or find another platform . For example while of course very > powerful, implementations like that of scaling in / out and the custom > backtester will give most people without previous programming experience the > willies. > > > > _____ > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of sidhartha70 > Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 1:55 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [amibroker] Re: Help Manual > > > > Tom, > > Well, Howard is apprently writing another book. A beginners book. > Which is great. He could (should to save the planet) sell it in the > form of an e-Book. > > Bottom line is, learning AFL and what it can do, is exactly the same > as learning any other language (e.g. C#). I don't think its too much > to ask to have the same level & quality of available documentation in > order to complete the task. > > If you expect people to learn a proprietary language, therefore tying > them to your product, you've got to supply the correct information, in > the correct format, to help people get where they're going. Surely? > > Or am I off the reservation here...? ;-) > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:amibroker%40yahoogroups.com> ps.com, > <professor@> wrote: > > > > 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] <mailto:amibroker%40yahoogroups.com> ps.com > > 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] <mailto:amibroker%40yahoogroups.com> ps.com, > "lou" <loulh@> 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" <sidhartha70@> > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:amibroker%40yahoogroups.com> ps.com> > > > 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] <mailto:amibroker% 40yahoogroups.com> > ps.com, "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] <mailto:amibroker% 40yahoogroups.com> ps.com> > > > >> 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.amibroke <http://www.amibroker.com/guide/w_afledit.html> > r.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.amibroke <http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/> > r.com/devlog/ > > > >> > > > > >> > For other support material please check also: > > > >> > http://www.amibroke <http://www.amibroker.com/support.html> > r.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.amibroke <http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/> r.com/devlog/ > > > > > > > > For other support material please check also: > > > > http://www.amibroke <http://www.amibroker.com/support.html> > r.com/support.html > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _____ > > I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. > It has removed 537 spam emails to date. > Paying users do not have this message in their emails. > Try SPAMfighter <http://www.spamfighter.com/len> for free now! >
