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Where is the Step by Step guide??

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Where is the Step by Step guide??
I am amazed that there is no simple Step by Step Guide or manual for Links 2. Or am I missing something?

People don't want forums or FAQs or links to resources - they just want a simple guide to talk them through the whole process of installing, setting permissions, using templates, building pages etc in simple language that does not assume any prior knowledge. What we actually have is a total mess of forums and so-called resources that just waste hours of people's time as they search for simple, basic info hidden away inside hundreds of postings.

Just a thought - I know I need such a guide. Why isn't there one and why are people setting up even more forums and faqs when this is just what people DON'T need?

Alan

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Re: Where is the Step by Step guide?? In reply to
It takes a hell of a lot of time to write a walk through for a complex script like Links 2. I would recommend for people to try installing smaller script, and learning about paths / permissions before even attempting to install Links 2.

There are hundreds of tutorials out there. Some of the best ones are at;

http://www.hotscripts.com/.../Tips_and_Tutorials/ and
http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Documentation/

You can even just goto a search engine such as Yahoo or Google and type in whatever you are looking for, e.g. CHMOD, its that simple Wink

Andy


webmaster@ace-installer.com
http://www.ace-installer.com
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Re: Where is the Step by Step guide?? In reply to
Thanks Andy,

That is good advice. But I think that if you guys got together you could pool knowledge and produce something really useful to people like me who are new to this. I take your point about trying with easier scripts first and I am sure that would have been a great help in my case. But I would guess that many things are specific to Links 2 and that there would still be problems. It is really frustrating not having a guide to help.

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Re: Where is the Step by Step guide?? In reply to
What would be great to have is a manual that includes:

1) A step by step installation guide (which there already is btw)

2) A Glossary

3) Chapters on each specific CGI program, like Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Search.cgi

4) A complete guide to templates and their tags including what they can and CANNOT do

5) A section on how to use the GT search routine in the Forum, the Resource area, etc.

6) For PERL hackers, an annotated guide to all the subroutines

7) Links to all the related resources on the net (a couple of hundred anyway)

8) An addendum of professional installers and paid modifiers/customizers

9) Illustrated sample pages to explain what things do and how to do them

10) Jazzy tips and tricks

11) Etc., etc.

I'm thinking this is probably a 200 page volume, will involve a project team of at least 10 with varying degrees of expertise, from perl pros to professional technical writers to 1st class project manager, would take about 6 months to production and would require at least $500,000 seed money just so people who utilize this program (many of which do not pay for it) can experience its full potential.

A great idea AJH, but very unrealistic. If there was a market for such a text that could be sold for $49.95 in every BestBuy along with a handy CD-ROM disk . . . I'd buy it.



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Re: Where is the Step by Step guide?? In reply to
I'm not sure about that intheroom. All the basic info that someone like me needs is probably already in these forums somewhere. It's just a question of finding it. Someone who is really into all this could set up a site that provides this info in a step by step way and they would be guaranteed a regular stream of visitors that they could maybe use in some way to generate a tiny bit of revenue. They could even just set the headings and let contibutors submit each section and let users rate the most useful guide for that section. If people have the time and interest to set up new forums for Links 2 they could surely use that time and interest to run something like the above instead.

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Re: Where is the Step by Step guide?? In reply to
Hmmmm... I think there are a number of tries at that already. Unless a site is heavily edited the posts would get all jumbled and you'd be back to square one - hunting all over for an answer. I was only semi-tongue-in-cheek with my post...but the serious part was I would pay for the Ultimate Links2.0 User's Guide, if there was one.

What you are suggesting is just the beginner's introductory chapter, but after you get up and running, you'll want to do more stuff, and you'll be ready for Chapter Two - So You Want To Do More Stuff.

The Ultimate Guide could easily have 200 pages or more. Just speculating, but if Alex and the good folks at Gossamer Threads thought there was a real demand and that the effort would be profitable, they'd have done it by now. And I don't know about generating income off of their product - seems unethical, or worse illegal.

But maybe you are right, a basic, simple User's Guide might be a popular site for all the newbies (and even those who have sweated this thing for several years now).

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Re: Where is the Step by Step guide?? In reply to
You're right - I am suggesting the introductory chapter (covering parts one to four in your list above). I just want to get the thing working! It sounds like you would be more interested in chapters two or three. But it is us newbies who really need pointing in the right direction to get us started and to have at least some idea about what we are doing. Maybe someone somewhere is working on this right now....