Hi My first thought was that the docs on mysql.com should do the job, but, although they answer most technical questions, often more down to earth stuff like 'How do I store images' or 'how do I get started with SQL' isn't there, or it is difficult to find.
The other problem is that the documentation is often technical to point that it is difficult to understand, even as a reasonably competent database programmer. I think newbies (and not so newbies) could feel totally overwhelmed by much of it. So (taking a deep breath !) I would be prepared to lay the foundations for a faq / knowledge base aimed specifically at this type of questions and to manage it. So, any thoughts? Where do we go from here? Peter ----------------------------------------------- Excellence in internet and open source software ----------------------------------------------- Sunmaia Birmingham UK www.sunmaia.net tel. 0121-242-1473 International +44-121-242-1473 ----------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: Stefan Hinz, iConnect (Berlin) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 29 December 2002 22:01 To: Cal Evans; Paul DuBois; Adam Wi´ckowski; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: An Idea Cal, Paul, dear list, thank you, Cal, for your wise words ... > "Here's the FAQ we developed so you don't have to waste our time asking > questions that have already been answered." Go to MySQL.com and type "FAQ" in the search box. This will provide 71 results, some of them with valuable FAQ-like information, but no real FAQ. Instead, we have this in every list mail: > Before posting, please check: > http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) > http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) I would keep this shorter, saying "Believe in God and do not sin" ;-) But seriously: Anybody here interested in setting up a FAQ on MySQL.com / MySQL.de, - with "silly" common questions from this list, - and with answers in "small tutorial" format (something like http://www.mysql.com/articles/dotnet/index.html), - well organized (one person to collect / insert the "silly" questions), - easy to search (only search term + search by category), - easy to maintain (e. g. with user comments, like the English manual), - even easier to use as a referer than the MySQL manual when answering questions? Flame me if there _is_ a FAQ like this. At least I didn't find it at MySQL.com, which is most probably the first place a new MySQL user would look for it. I am the German translator of the official MySQL manual, so I could offer to translate as much as I can from the FAQ into German. Regards, -- Stefan Hinz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Geschäftsführer / CEO iConnect GmbH <http://iConnect.de> Heesestr. 6, 12169 Berlin (Germany) Tel: +49 30 7970948-0 Fax: +49 30 7970948-3 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cal Evans" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Paul DuBois" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Adam Wi´ckowski" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2002 6:00 PM Subject: RE: An Idea > Because that's the way that (FoxPro, Access, Paradox, insert name of > favorite desktop RDBMS here) did it and I can't make the jump to a real > server based RDBMS! > > Why do you ask? :) > > Seriously, I find this type of issue (not your question Paul, the original > question) one of the most troubling things about this list. We as a > community of SQL developers (regardless of dialect) need to make a more > concentrated effort to explain the differences between desktop databases and > real database engines. We need to educate people making the changeover > before releasing them into the wild. (Maybe the link to download MySql could > ask a few basic questions to prove you know what you are doing before being > allowed to download!) :) > > I cut my teeth on FoxPro. The first SQL I wrote was in the FoxPro (2.5/6?) > dialect. I know from whence I speak because I asked these same questions > many years ago. Luckily, I found people who kindly but firmly pointed me in > the right direction. ("You DON'T need gapless sequences for PK's." "You > DON'T store images in the actual database without permission from God." > "Here's the FAQ we developed so you don't have to waste our time asking > questions that have already been answered." "Thank you, come again.") They > showed me the light and occasionally I try to share what little I know with > others. > > I guess what I'm trying to say is to those who know something (even if you > are like me and are constantly amazed at what you DON'T know) share kindly > and willingly. To those seeking enlightenment...RTFM you mook! Check the > !*#&^ archives and use Google, this issue has been beat to death! > > Humbly, > =C= > * > * Cal Evans > * The Virtual CIO > * http://www.calevans.com > * > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul DuBois [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2002 10:02 AM > To: Adam Wi´ckowski; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: An Idea > > > Why? > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Before posting, please check: > http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) > http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) > > To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Before posting, please check: http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php --------------------------------------------------------------------- Before posting, please check: http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php
