[asterisk-doc] I am new to asterisk..Please help me..

[Hameed, Mian F]

On July 12, 2006 Leif Madsen wrote:
> >So while your thoughts are logical and sound, they simply don't meet
the > >objectives of reality.

Here is the objective of reality:
There is not a single startup document that I was aware of when I was
setting up asterisk that will help you set up asterisk on the fly. YES
ON THE FLY. I had this pain and those before me and after me have said
it too. Due to my schedule, mine is not all the way functioning). Then
came your book, and I salute you for it, but not a hands on capsule as I
would like to see it....(perhaps not your objective); like we have in
training labs. I know we all are busy and talk is cheap, hence my
comments as well. The reality is, it is not there. We need to set up
small task committees and have them do small projects such as I have
pointed out to in my example below.

Recently, I have not checked all what we have as documentation, but I
would like to see an effort (and I am willing to help), that will get
you this product functioning at a minimal; all in one doc. Mastering it
will come later.

For example:
Provide basics for installing LINUX. (Yes the basics!!!!!)
Then install asterisk.
And then have two soft phones communicate.
Basic trouble shoot
Some uses of Digium products and how to set those up. Have Digium make
money too and advertise their product in it, if rules of the game would
allow.

The aforementioned example (scope of work) can be refined, but it needs
to get done from what I have seen from the basic questions on various
forums. So I wrote to Ira if he would help. 

Leif further wrote:
> >  This is  primarily because most people only talk about what needs
to
> >  be done; very few actually do anything

True, but if what I have asked  is needed, a bit guidance may be needed
to set our documentation module in line with to create a task based
documentation, which are small steps and would not require us to wait
long as is the case with writing a whole new book.

Regards,
Mian


-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-doc-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-doc-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Leif Madsen
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 4:55 PM
To: Discussions regarding The Asterisk Documentation Project
Subject: Re: [asterisk-doc] I am new to asterisk..Please help me..

On 7/11/06, asterisk <asterisk at stn.pl> wrote:
> OK. There is very hot discussion here. It means (I hope) subject is
very hot.
> I don't agree with Jim:

And I don't agree with you :) My reasoning below...

> >  This is  primarily because most people only talk about what needs
to
> >  be done; very few actually do anything.

Agreed.

> Peter Beckman wrote:
> > > > What I am seeing is that you guys are (mostly) still alive! :)
This is
> > > > about the quietest list in the civilized world.
> > >
> > >   Wow, this is the first thread on this list in a long time.
> > >
>
> we are quiet because we are very busy and hard working (around VoIP,
Asterisk,
> Internet, e.t.c), and maybe talking not enough.
> But I think this discussion means we think documentation is VERY
important
> part of Asterisk.
> There is some old rules about this:
>
> 1. Make documentation in parallel with coding.
> 2. Make docs even before coding.
>
> This is because you have to know where are you going and documentation
is your
> roadmap.

Unfortunately Asterisk is still relatively young (it's just a wee
baby!!!) -- it's delving into an industry that had yet been touched by
open source, and is a pretty complex world unto itself (we're talking
over 100 years of innovation here people!).

Making documentation in parallel with coding is a great and grand idea
-- some day it may even happen. However -- those who program are not
documenteurs -- they are programmers. Digium has, at last count,
approximately 4-5 full time programmers -- the rest are all
volunteers! And it seems highly unlikely that Digium is going to ask
those _volunteer_ programmers to be required to write documentation in
addition to the programming efforts they are generously contributing
to all of us. Yes -- if someone writes a new function or application,
they have to write some documentation to show how it works, but they
certainly are not required to write a 30 page chapter on how it works.

Writing documentation before coding is an even grander idea -- but my
statements above still stand. And also, Asterisk is an open source
project and not a commercial entity (yes, there is commercialism
behind it, but Digium is not as big as Cisco), so it plays by
different rules, has different ambitions, and different goals.

The roadmap of Asterisk is constantly changing. That's because it is
driven by those volunteers who tirelessly provide knowledge and skills
into a peice of software that we all use, and the areas the get the
most attention are going to be those that they themselves require the
most for their customers.

So while your thoughts are logical and sound, they simply don't meet
the objectives of reality.

Leif Madsen.
_______________________________________________
--Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com --

asterisk-doc mailing list
To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:
   http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-doc