Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 08:04:30 -0700
Reply-To: Bill Kasper <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Kasper <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on a FAQ Proposition
In-Reply-To: <20020529.001445.-443867.1.wilden1@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
i am with stan on this one. it would be much more useful to have it
keyed to bentley, since it's common ground. ben huot's page is
excellent, and a site done in that manner could be a great adjunct to
the vanagon.com website (not that i am expecting ben to do it, not with
his girlfriend smiling, ready to go "camping").
frank, stan, and gary (and whoever else), i'll take a shot at
something. don't have a lot of knowledge, perhaps just enough to be
dangerous.
bill
'87 syncro westfalia
santa cruz, ca
On Tuesday, May 28, 2002, at 10:14 , Stan Wilder wrote:
> I've got this mental picture of a wretched web document that surpasses
> the bulk of the Bentleys manual, definitely a document with great thud
> value if you use the 80 - 91 Version.
> I'd suggest a different approach:
> #1) A supplement to the Westy Equipment manual furnished with the Westy,
> to contain tips and tricks relating only to Westy Equipment.
> #2) A supplement to the Air Cooled and Water Cooled owners manual, to
> contain tips and tricks relating to minor maintenance.
> #3) A chapter by chapter supplement to the Bentleys manual with simple
> tips and tricks and chapter corrections. Anybody that has repaired a
> Vanagon or Westy using the manual finds holes in their information
> delivery.
> Taking this approach will provide structure and an architecture that can
> be rendered up as a web document that is of reasonable size. In addition
> it discourages plagiarizing the existing materials for content.
> Additionally bringing the FAQ index into the context of providing links
> to the many very informative sources on Vanagon / Westy / Bus
> Maintenance that already exist on various member sites and other VW
> sites.
> If an individual wishes to FTP this information down and put it on a CD
> then let be. Just zip it and park it at the Shareware Site.
>
> Stan Wilder
> 83 Westfalia Air Cooled
>
> On Wed, 29 May 2002 00:32:10 EDT Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
> writes:
>> I have been surprised and pleased to receive a significant number of
>> email
>> responses expressing enthusiasm for the FAQ upgrade proposition. I
>> also agree
>> that really putting together a FAQ is a stunning amount of work for
>> any one
>> individual. I also agree with Stan and others that there is an
>> impressive
>> amount of garbage in the archives along with superstition and
>> hearsay wisdom
>> and anecdotal observations. But there is also a hard core of good
>> information, increasingly hard to find.
>>
>> My proposition about using volunteers to take on one topic of
>> personal
>> interest was based on several tenets, including:
>> 1. Some volunteers are already expert in the area. Their
>> contribution to the
>> group will be invaluable in any topic they choose.
>> 2. The newbie (nubian is another topic entirely) who takes on a
>> topic will
>> soon become an expert in the area. Some experts have hands on
>> experience, but
>> many are just conversant with the literature. The archives are our
>> literature, and the topical summary/assessment/response would be
>> the
>> equivalent of a solicited review paper.
>> 3. The BS could be filtered by putting the material on the list in
>> draft form
>> for comment and discussion (peer review possibilities).
>> 4. The topic writer could use any sources ... the archives surely,
>> but the
>> technical literature, the Bosch Automotive handbook, listees and
>> other web
>> sites, or their own base experience. The topic could include
>> archive
>> references, other web links, etc, etc.
>> 5. I would suggest that the cognizant listee maintain responsibility
>> for
>> his/her contribution into the future and have the ability to edit
>> and update
>> as their whim may dictate.
>> 6. Time investment for any topic could range from days to weeks.
>> 7. Some stalwarts could take on translating some of the German VW
>> design
>> articles that effect us all.
>> 8. In the end I would hope the FAQ development would contribute to
>> content on
>> the list and generate a new crop of informed old timers.
>> 9. For a further example, I could see a resource similar to that
>> maintained
>> by the Porsche Club of America. A list is maintained of topical
>> experts to
>> whom you can address (email with copy to the list) a critical
>> question to.
>> The answers often go beyond the limits of the FAQ, but are often
>> truly
>> thought provoking.
>>
>> OK, I would be willing to shepherd such a FAQ experiment with a less
>> than
>> frenetic time commitment. I would assume that this effort could take
>> place
>> over many months. My availability is minimal until June 7. I would
>> suggest
>> that the first order of business is a listing of juicy topics. Let
>> our full
>> community suggest topics. Each listing might start with the title:
>> FAQ:XXXXXXX where XXXXX is a short topic ID or description. After
>> June 7, I
>> will collect the responses and post a list of topics for
>> volunteers.
>>
>> Now Karl Wolz's suggestion that Gary Hradek is already off on this
>> course,
>> may indicate that he is the best person to oversee the effort.
>> Better than I
>> for me! We will need to communicate here.
>>
>> Anyway just a suggestion,
>>
>> Frank Grunthaner
>>
>
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