Re: Detail question about "Text input" page

[Urs Liska]

Am 13.01.2014 13:03, schrieb David Kastrup:
> Urs Liska <address@hidden> writes:
>
> > What is the exact objective of:
> >
> > "Please read the Learning Manual before complaining about bugs! New
> > users occasionally believe that LilyPond is not working correctly,
> > when in fact it is working precisely as designed."
> >
> > I find this slightly off-putting because it tells the reader: "If it
> > doesn't seem to work you're probably too dumb".
> >
> > Is this targeted at the people who wonder why double-clicking on the
> > desktop shortcut won't open a program?
>
> You mean like
> <URL:http://download.cnet.com/LilyPond/9241-2141_4-10995890.html?messageID=10589553&tag=uo;uo>?
> I doubt that pointing to the Learning Manual would help with that...

No doubt it won't help.
And that's why I thought the paragraph might be less than ideal.

> > Or is this more the advice "well, we know it's complicated to start
> > with, but please bear with us and read the LM"?
> >
> > I suggest getting rid of the "complaining about bugs" phrase. We want
> > to be friendly and welcoming, aren't we?
>
> It's more like the people reporting as a bug that when they write
>
> { f fis f f }
>
> that there is a natural accidental before the second f that they did not
> ask for, and they don't seem to be able to get rid of it.

OK, that's practically what I meant with my second option.

> The problem is that if you get asked this sort of question too often, it
> is becoming hard to be friendly and welcoming.  So you refrain from
> answering at all, and that's not friendly and welcoming either.
>
> Whether such a warning will have a noticeable effect, however, is
> questionable.

Maybe not. In particular when people (like the disappointed guy you 
linked to above) get LilyPond from an external download site.

But I think I will propose a rewritten version. I have a few ideas to 
make the situation clearer, at least for those who _do_ read these pages.

Urs