Steve Byrne wrote:
>
> Dan Kegel writes:
> > > Look again in README.linux.
> >
> > The doc could be made a little more accessible. Did you know there's
> > no link to README.linux on http://www.blackdown.org/java-linux.html ?
> > It ought to be right there next to the FAQ.
> > It should also be linked to from inside the FAQ, e.g. under
> > a question "What documentation is there for the Linux port of the JDK?";
> > I didn't see it when I checked briefly just now.
>
> But, Dan, it *is there: look in the ports file. It's *there* as the release
> notes. Granted it doesn't say "Here lies README.linux", but it *is*
> there and in a pretty accessible place, though it should also be right next to
> the FAQ (as well as being covered in the FAQ).
Aha. OK, guess I fell into the "expected the README
to be right next to the file I was downloading" trap.
Or the "can't read the screen" trap.
Now that I think about it, the FTP sites suffer
from the same problem: the README is there, but
you have to read lots of stuff (a whole page!-)
and look around for it.
I suspect that people who know they need to download
a file get into a mode where all they notice on a page
are the files for download; likewise, people looking
for a particular link only notice links. That's why
it's important to put the README link right next
to the things these users are looking for.
My final suggestion (I promise) is:
* link to the README directory from the FAQ and from
the top web page right next to the FAQ link
* include a symbolic link to the README right next
to the actual download files in the FTP area;
don't make people navigate over to the doc directory
and last but least,
* use a .txt extension on the README for the benefit
of web browsers
This should make it easier for caffeine-crazed, MTV-paced
people to actually accidentally notice the README as
they download the JDK or JRE.
- Dan
