New Browsers for Old

[STYMA, ROBERT E (ROBERT)]

> 
> For example, there are at least 1000 pages (dead tree form) of top
> quality documentation at samba.org site and people ask basic questions
> of initial setup of samba. Volunteers respond to questions 
> and it takes
> 1 - 3 days just to get a windows computer connected to a 
> samba computer.
> Seems to be a case where the homework would save everybody time and
> trouble - I point them to the docs. Much more significant 
> than answering
> the question.
> 
> Craig

I think this is part of the problem.  "There are at least 1000 pages."
To a new user, who is trying to determine what is the best way to accomplish
something, looking through 1000 pages of documentation to find that this is
or is not the best tool to accomplish what they have in mind somewhat
discouraging.  Someone who wants to look at windows files across the network
as opposed to someone who wants to share Linux files to windows needs a 
different cross section of those 1000 pages.  The guy who wants to look at
the windows on a partition on the hard drive of the Linux machine has to do
something still different.  He could go through the whole 1000 pages only
to find he was barking up the wrong tree.  

I think pointing a person to useful documentation and sometimes a bit
of background is useful.  To continue the example, I am aware that
the name Samba was derived from SMB which is sometimes called CIFS.
When glancing through package titles looking for something, barring prior
knowlege, the name Samba does jump out at me as having to do with
Windows file systems.  Gimp is a slang term for a guy with a bad leg.
It is a great image editor, but that is not obvious from the name.

Enough ranting on my part.

Bob Styma