I have been running into the same question on my site: how do I present the information best when the user could be coming in with two different desires, either for a quick answer or for an overall review. My experience as a user is that I want, at any given time, one of three things. The best solution for each is not the best for the others:
1) To get the answer to a single question pertaining to a topic, at some level of detail. That end is best served by an FAQ, which is highly redundant if you read it from top to bottom, since the answers to multiple questions may overlap. 2) To get a basic understanding of a topic. This is where the "overview" or "primer" is useful. It covers the basic concepts from top to bottom. 3) To get a comprehensive understanding of a topic. This is where something like an in-depth article is useful. Of course, articles often tend to focus on just a particular aspect of an issue, which makes organization difficult. I think that creating all three is the best way to go, since picking any one solution (or a combination of the three) will water down the effect. I know that I am puffing an awful lot of wind here for a relative newbie who won't be able to contribute much right away, but if I were the guru--and if I had time, something all you gurus probably have even less of than I do!--, I would set up a list of topics, e.g., Regular Expressions, with each topic having three sub-divisions: (1) Primer, (2) FAQ, (3) Article(s) on the subject. I'd be willing to contribute in an editorial capacity (proofreading and being a guinea pig reader) for now if anyone wants to run some text by me. I have a fair amount of experience with that sort of stuff. Hope this helps the conversation. I think that such a collection would be fantastic. Matthieu -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 5:01 PM To: CF-Talk Subject: Re: FAQs for CF-Talk was (Admin) Behavior While that format might seem like a good thing, it fails to answer the question but instead sends them off somewhere else. There has to be a middle ground between "just do this" and a 5 page article. "QMail stores its mail in the directory called X, A control file associated with this message is stored in directory Y. The mail server will read the control message and use the information about it to send the message. A <CFFILE action="Write" ...> can be used to do this. Remember to write the message file first and then the control file. An examination of the formats for these files can be found here" That would explain the solution, a bit of code to say how to work with the solution and a location for more specific information. As an aside, this is probably the answer to the original question. It's all a matter of looking at messages that are sitting on the QMail server to see their format and how they are handled. > The answer your question needs the space of an article. I would see the > FAQ working more like... > > Q: How do you efficiently send a lot of mail using ColdFusion? > A: Use <cffile> to write directly to your MTA's mail queue. > See: John Doe's article on how to do it with QMail. > > Matt Liotta > President & CEO > Montara Software, Inc. > http://www.montarasoftware.com/ > V: 415-577-8070 > F: 415-341-8906 > P: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Larry Juncker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 1:36 PM > > To: CF-Talk > > Subject: RE: FAQs for CF-Talk was (Admin) Behavior > > > > >From the sounds of things, maybe a FAQ for what I think started this > > whole mess: > > my question about using CFFILE with QMAILs queue file. > > > > Personally, I still have not found my total answer on this issue, > although > > I am > > still SEARCHING as was suggested.... > > > > Larry > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Judith Dinowitz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 3:25 PM > > To: CF-Talk > > Subject: FAQs for CF-Talk was (Admin) Behavior > > > > > > Ben, > > > > "In any case, I'd be happy to write up some > > FAQs if you can supply me some suggested topics. Although, if I have > to > > flame you first to write a FAQ... <g>" > > > > LOL. No, you can write a FAQ if you'd like, hold the flames, please. > > > > Hmm. Suggested topics, anyone? > > > > Judith > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
