[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: debian list summaries



On Sat, Dec 12, 1998 at 09:51:10PM +0100, Martin Schulze wrote:
> Rainer Dorsch wrote:
> > I am wondering, if there is somewhere a comprehensive Debian lists
> > summary report. Something like the Debian section of http://lwn.net

I tried to start a debian-devel summary a year or two ago, but it
quickly became too time consuming, partly because I was trying to be too
complete --- documenting every tip that might be useful quickly consumes
several hours a week.  Another time I tried to start a Debian Unstable
FAQ that would list the current hotspots in the Unstable distribution,
e.g., severely buggy libraries or dependencies that would screw up your
system if installed.  However, again, it's hard to keep up with the
lists.  

More recently, several limited-scope summaries have appeared that
partially fill the gap: the bug stamp-out list, the
where-we-are-in-the-release-cycle report, the debian-policy summary for
people who don't read debian-policy --- these are all posted to
debian-devel-announce.  There's also the Faq-O-Matic at
http://www.debian.org/fom/1.html, which is supposed to allow people to
post their tips (=suggestions) in categories and let other people read
about them, but I have never used it, so I don't know how comprehensive
it is.

Summaries are wonderful things.  The best I've seen was Digital
Espresso, a summary of comp.lang.java.  This was sponsored by a company
so they had paid editors and could do a really comprehensive job.
Somewhat more our style, a few volunteers have started up weekly
summaries for comp.lang.python and comp.lang.tcl.  They rotate editors
once a month, and the current editor has the right to summarize what
they want, and to put as much time into it as they want.  Of course,
all the editors strive to at least mention every important topic 
(announcements of new modules, good FAQ material, the best of political
humor).  The summaries tend to be 1-3 lines, with a dejanews link back to
the original article/thread.  The bottom half of the summary has links
to general reference material.  The summaries are archived at a website.

I would like to see the Debian Unstable FAQ revived, but I'm not
currently in a position to commit to doing it regularly.

-- 
-Mike Orr, mso@jimpick.com


Reply to: