David Keegel wrote:
> 
> I think FAQs are quite suitable for a "bazaar" model of development,
[snip]
> I can't see any reason why having one person writing and editting an
> FAQ is better than having dozens of people contributing and one person
> editting that FAQ.  Why not have lots of people doing bits of FAQ?

It's a fine model, but Eric's example was an e-mail program that had already
been developed. The DNS FAQ has no legacy code, so to speak, and so has no
central core of material to provide a structure for further work. Anyway, the
way Eric did it, he was the Grand Poobah who had ultimate control, just like
Netscape does with mozilla.org.

The reason for my earlier post was that there needs to be a moment or two (but
no more) spent on defining exactly what the FAQ is supposed to do: 

1. act as a loosely-structured talking point;
2. strictly define the terms for discussion in the WAIA list;
3. attract ADNA members to the WAIA list with pureness of rhetoric;
4. inform newbies;
5. provide an official potted history;
6. give links to other, more official resources;
7. become the basis of a submission to the NOIE discussions;
8. provide a free kick at Adam Todd; or
9. a bit of some or all of the above?

> There's nothing stopping two people from editting their own separate
> FAQs, although I think we'd all like to see them converge in time.
> (Which might be as simple as merging them at high speed, or for Unix
> techies: "cat".)
[snip]
> And as I said earlier, don't expect the DNS list to officially "bless"
> any particular FAQ (or FAQ editor).  Do expect that FAQs will evolve.
> 
> In short: Antony you write your FAQ, Paul you write your FAQ, publish
> them both, and we'll try to merge them later.  For the time being, I
> wouldn't call either of them "the authoritative FAQ of the DNS list".

Bad idea. The DNS world is fractured enough as it is, without something as
trivial as a list FAQ being subject to balkanisation as well. I'll try to take
this discussion off-list with Antony, and we'll work something out I'm sure.

-- 
Paul Montgomery, features editor for Image & Data Manager and assistant
editor for Internet World. Lives like a JavaBean. Go Scotland in WC98!
mailto:monty§knapp.com.au  Tel: +61 2 9318 2644.  Fax: +61 2 9310 4608.
  "Just like the ocean, always in love with the moon / It’s overflowing
  now, inside you." Jeff Buckley, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk.