Subject: Re: FAQ [was: Re: VOLUNTEER REQUEST]
From: BWS - Offwhite (brennan@offwhite.net)
Date: Fri Aug 11 2000 - 11:05:34 EDT
Yes, this may be something we can use. If I have time I will try it out.
Brennan Stehling - web developer and sys admin
projects: www.greasydaemon.com | www.onmilwaukee.com | www.sncalumni.com
On Fri, 11 Aug 2000, Chip Mefford wrote:
> Faq-o-matic
>
> http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jonh/ff-serve/cache/1.html
>
> At 12:17 AM 08/11/2000 -0400, Bob Rogers wrote:
> > From: BWS - Offwhite <brennan@offwhite.net>
> > Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 22:39:46 -0500 (CDT)
> >
> > [ this is simply an idea up for suggestion ]
> >
> > I agree that the data should be structured and even stored in a
> > database. That way we can use templates to display the content. An FAQ
> > may consist of the following structure . . .
> >
> > Then a nice FAQ could be built dynamically with a script which accesses
> > the database. If there are only 20 questions in the system, they would
> > appear on the same page. If it gets to be much longer, it could display
> > 20 per page. And then we can organize questions by category: file server,
> > print server, installing, and trouble shooting . . .
> >
> > There are just so many options with a database and a couple creative
> > scripters . . .
> >
> > Brennan Stehling - web developer and sys admin
> >
> >I would like to make a point that is perhaps obvious, but seems to be at
> >risk of getting lost in the shuffle:
> >
> > I consider it very helpful to have some kind of user-visible absolute
> >identifier for FAQ items, so that you can respond to a user's query with
> >"Please see FAQ item XYZ." These identifiers should never change, so
> >that archived responses to queries aren't made meaningless by subsequent
> >FAQ updates. Organizing by category, as in "Please see FAQ item 7.2",
> >certainly helps the update problem, since it's easy to add a new
> >question and answer to the end of the category.
> >
> > Given all that, I fail to see the advantage of a DBMS implementation
> >vs. old-fashioned static HTML, except perhaps in the initial entry phase
> >with multiple distributed authorship. Perhaps this creativity could be
> >better applied elsewhere?
> >
> > Just a peep from the peanut gallery . . .
> >
> > -- Bob Rogers
>
> --------------------------------------
> I labour to posses my soul
>
> -Izaak Walton
> --------------------------------------
>
>
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