Message-ID: <c=GB%a=_%p=Indigo_Active_Vi%l=CRIANLARICH-970407124725Z-859@crianlarich.Indigo>
From: Robert Humphris <r DOT humphris AT indigo-avs DOT com>
To: "'Eli Zaretskii'" <eliz AT is DOT elta DOT co DOT il>
Cc: "'djGpp list'" <djgpp AT delorie DOT com>
Subject: RE: Outstanding Projects
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 13:47:25 +0100
Encoding: 35 TEXT

>
>Great idea!  But please keep in mind:
>
>	1) Somebody (you?) should maintain this database so it remains 
>up-to-date, otherwise it won't be useful.
Well this is something that I have thought of, so I reckon that every 30
days or so a new release
is made, people will have to actively okay their inclusion on the list
e.g. a reminder letter would go
through to all on the list asking for new/updated/repeat entries.
>
>	2) The database should be extensively indexed to allow for fast
>and efficient search when the only thing people know is what functionality
>do they need.  This usually takes a lot of effort. 
Well database searches are a little out of the scope just yet ( until I
know the scale of the numbers of
projects involved... I hope to be suprised ), my ideal is to categorize
by subject type to start with...
>
>	3) You need to convince people search it, which is not as trivial
>as it may sound.  For example, you can search the DJGPP mail archives
>*today* to look for announcements of software, but many people just post a
>question instead. 
well this is true, but what can you do? companies selling commercial
products spend millions on marketing
and still only get a few percent of their prospective sales base, it
will be there, it can be used, it will be
advertised by a posting at least every 30 days e.g. the reminder to the
mail and news groups. Plus if 
someone posts a question you will be able to really infuriate
"MyBigMouth" by pointing them to the list
in the same way that you point them to the FAQ. :-)

Rob Humphris
>