Mail Archives: cygwin/2005/08/06/20:03:00
Christopher Faylor wrote:
> Jonathan Turkanis wrote:
>>---------------------------
>>I'm explaining the Cygwin installation process in detail because it's a bit
>>confusing. The process may have changed by the time you read this, but if
>>it has, it will probably have been made easier.
>>---------------------------
> I would prefer that you would not use the word "confusing" since it is a
> charged word which really only indicates the state of the person doing
> the writing.
True -- if it's confusing only to me, that's of little interest to the reader.
Saying "it can be a bit confusing" would be more relevant (and also true, I'm
afraid).
> Predisposing first-time users into thinking that
> installation is "confusing" is not, IMO, a really good idea.
I'm sympathetic, and open to suggestions.
> I'd prefer
> something like "can be a little complicated depending on what you're trying
> to install".
I think I can live with this as long as the sentence ends after the word
"complicated." To me, the package selection process is counter-intuitive
regardless of how much or how little I'm trying to install.
I'm certainly not trying to denigrate Cygwin; I'm trying to solve a practical
problem: how to get readers to install Cygwin, without giving up in the middle,
so they can get to the next step (which happens to be running g++ and make). I
also have to say something about why I'm going into such detail, rather than
just saying "run the installation utility."
As long as I have some plausible way to introduce the detailed installation
instructions, without bending the truth too much, I'm happy.
> cgf
Best Regards,
Jonathan
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