I am *not* a good technical writer. One of my many weaknesses.
Could folks who have recently used the Auto FE Updater read the page
at http://www.autofeupdater.com/gettingstarted.htm and make
suggestions as to how to reword the text?
I will shortly be making a Wizard and a GUI for the utility so I'd
like to have the same good wording on the website and in the wizard.
Thanks, Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
It's great you share your work with the community! Thanks for that. I have
no comments about the text.
Maybe it would be nice to add a screenshot of how a ini file for the updater
actually could look like. I think that not all potential users are familiar
with them.
One comment I have is that I think that the Times New Roman font gives the
Auto FE Updater pages an old fashioned look...
Lars
"Tony Toews [MVP]" <tto...@telusplanet.net> schreef in bericht
news:n7i2b5d2sth3vcg8b...@4ax.com...
>It's great you share your work with the community! Thanks for that. I have
>no comments about the text.
Thanks for your kind words.
>Maybe it would be nice to add a screenshot of how a ini file for the updater
>actually could look like. I think that not all potential users are familiar
>with them.
I do ship two INI files in the downloaded zip file. Also once I create the Wizard
this won't matter as newbies will be able to use the Wizard.
>One comment I have is that I think that the Times New Roman font gives the
>Auto FE Updater pages an old fashioned look...
Hmm, you're probably correct there. One of those things I hadn't thought of.
I am a good technical writer. I have engineering and MBA degrees and did
lots of writing in my classes. During my career I worked as an operations
engineer and a project engineer. I have written armloads of operating
manuals, testrun procedures and project documents. I would like to offer to
write a how-to-use document for you for your Auto FE Updater for a modest
fee. We would collaborate in the writing so that you get document the way
you want it. If you are interested, contact me.
Steve
san...@penn.cpm
"Tony Toews [MVP]" <tto...@telusplanet.net> wrote in message
news:n7i2b5d2sth3vcg8b...@4ax.com...
--
Gina Whipp
"I feel I have been denied critical, need to know, information!" - Tremors
II
http://www.regina-whipp.com/index_files/TipList.htm
"Steve" <notmy...@address.com> wrote in message
news:npCdnUHw7b2kfy7X...@earthlink.com...
Isn't that funny... ??
--
Get lost $teve. Go away... far away....
"Some cause happiness wherever they go - others whenever they go"
- Oscar Wilde
Arno R
What gets my goat, though is that Steve has the guts to ask for a fee
for something being offered to the community for free!
--
Clif
"Gina Whipp" <NotInt...@InViruses.com> wrote in message
news:O89hmiJO...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
--
Clif
--
Gina Whipp
"I feel I have been denied critical, need to know, information!" - Tremors
II
http://www.regina-whipp.com/index_files/TipList.htm
"Clif McIrvin" <clar...@nevergmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:%230UtZ2J...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>OMG... YOU have got to be kidding me! All I can say... INCOMING... DUCK!
<chuckle> I was rather startled myself to read Steve's posting.
>If you are interested, contact me.
No, I'm not at all interested in your help.
Stevie, what are you smoking? You offer to provide your questionable
services to someone you have insulted in the past. You need to get back on
your medication to control your dillusions of adequecy.
John... Visio MVP
>Stevie, what are you smoking? You offer to provide your questionable
>services to someone you have insulted in the past. You need to get back on
>your medication to control your dillusions of adequecy.
As much as I dislike Streve's many postings soliciting work your posting is not
professional.
John... Visio MVP
"Tony Toews [MVP]" <tto...@telusplanet.net> wrote in message
news:luv7b5153g1l85mpb...@4ax.com...
I don't care about Steve. He has a right to ask for money for his
work.
Tony, I am forever grateful to you for providing your excellent
product free.
Thank you. You are the one to be focused on here.
I did have some trouble with your docs, but it was largely due to lack
of faith. When I just fired it up and went with it, it worked
flawlessly, and intuitively. Again, thank you.
I have one issue you might deal with on your next (or later) revision.
If the production front end db is in any way in use when someone tries
to log in, they get an obscure error message saying (reasonably) that
you can't get access to the file. A little less scary message would
make my users less concerned when I have screwed up and forgotten to
lock them out when I open the production front end.
Not a big deal since it's only when I screw up when it happens.
Again, thanks alot, Tony!
>Tony, I am forever grateful to you for providing your excellent
>product free.
Thanks for your kind words.
>Thank you. You are the one to be focused on here.
>
>I did have some trouble with your docs, but it was largely due to lack
>of faith. When I just fired it up and went with it, it worked
>flawlessly, and intuitively. Again, thank you.
Technical writing is one of my weaknesses. But understandible when it comes to
programmer types. <smile>
>I have one issue you might deal with on your next (or later) revision.
>If the production front end db is in any way in use when someone tries
>to log in, they get an obscure error message saying (reasonably) that
>you can't get access to the file. A little less scary message would
>make my users less concerned when I have screwed up and forgotten to
>lock them out when I open the production front end.
>
>Not a big deal since it's only when I screw up when it happens.
Ah, I see what you are saying. Personally I keep the FE somewhere else and work on
it there. I then make an MDE and copy it into the folder when required. The copying
only takes a few seconds so is reasonably safe.
I do need to put a check in to see if the target Access file(s) have an LDB on them.
If so tell the user they're already in the app and/or ask if they want the LDB file
deleted or something like that. When I do that I can easily put a check in to see
if there's an LDB file on any Access files in the source folder (or subfolders once I
put that logic in place.) If there is any LDB file present anywhere then I won't
do any file copies whatsoever but start the app anyhow.
Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
>Tony, I am forever grateful to you for providing your excellent
>product free.
That said I plan on putting in some features soon that will cost some
$$$. The current functionality and minor enhancements to such will
continue to be free. Just the extra "Enterprise" functionality.
The first thing I have in mind to charge for is the ability to copy
subfolders and their contents to the PC.
Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
> I don't care about Steve. He has a right to ask
> for money for his work.
Jim, Steve does have the right to be paid for work, even work that others
might give away, but neither he nor anyone else has the right to solicit
paid work in this newsgroup.
See the FAQ and charter for this newsgroup at
http://www.mvps.org/access/netiquette.htm. The newsgroup is defined by its
charter, originally issued in 1993, and operates under the general rules of
USENET newsgroups. Most ISPs and providers of news servers also have
specific rules against posting advertising to newsgroups unless the
newsgroup's charter specifically permits advertising, which the charter of
this newsgroup does not.
No one, in the entire history of comp.databases.ms-access, has violated the
charter and rules, and posted specifically prohibited advertising, to the
extent that Steve has done. That is why so many people here respond to him,
and point out to possibly-uninformed posters that his answers here are so
often wrong, and his questions here are so often elementary, that it is
unlikely that his rates could possibly be sufficiently modest.
Larry Linson
> I don't care about Steve. He has a right to ask for money for his
> work.
But not in these forums.
--
David W. Fenton http://www.dfenton.com/
usenet at dfenton dot com http://www.dfenton.com/DFA/
Come on. Lets not really stupid here. Are you serious?
I have ZERO, I repeat ZERO problem if this updater product was a paid for
commercial product.
To come here and suggest that you are available for PAID hired work to
document something being given to our community for free is an unbelievable
insult to everyone here. What makes you think we would choose you? The way
you been treating this newsgroup, I would not recommend you to my enemies,
let alone anyone in this community. In fact if we received a grant from some
company like Microsoft, you be sure that you would be the LAST person we
choose here. Companies often do come up with money for these types of
projects and you are shooting your foot in this regards.
Do note that Google will nicely index this post, and for the rest of your
life, these newsgroup posts will follow you. Please do consider this issue,
as the internet has memory like an elephant, and the reputation you have in
the developer community is not only tarnished by your behaving, but keep in
mind that the internet is VERY MUCH based on reputation. This how the whole
internet thing works. This is how ebay works (you build up a reputation).
Today, employers and perspective hires of your work increasingly check out
Facebook, and newsgroups as a pre-requisite as to how appropriate your
services are. PLEASE keep in mind your public behavior increasingly effects
your ability to find work in our industry. The internet makes the whole
ms-access community VERY small. We call this the internet, but it really is
the global village.
It is not my job as an MVP to police these newsgroups. In fact I have no
more any special rights over that of you posting here. However, I do urge
you to heed my above advice about reputation and how you are damaging your
ability to find future work in our industry.
Clearly you are from a diffent type of culture or simply do not understand
this western concept of sharing and giving things to the community here.
This is a volunteer community and it is ALL about sharing and giving.
By the way, there nothing wrong with using the internet to find work. There
is 1000's if not 10's of thousands of job and work boards on the net. So it
not like you can't find a place or outlet if you looking for work in our
wonderful IT industry.
Unfortunately your continued miss-use of this community is SIGNIFICANTLY
damaging your reputation in this community. Your continued disrespect of how
this community is to function is well noted here, and anyone Googleing for
your name will see these many posts. You are ONLY hurting yourself here.
You have a LOT of work here if your going to improve your reputation in the
ms-access community and industry.
Again, to be clear:
If this was soliciting of comments for a PAID product and commercial
product, then I have absolute NO problem with you offering your paid
services to that company.
To suggest that are you available for hire to document a product being given
FREELY to the community here is simply an insult here. You really are
shooting your prospects of gaining work in our industry here!
Just exactly how can you lack SO MUCH understanding as to what this
community is all about?
I am not asking you to join some open source project. I am not asking you to
give your work and skills away for free. However to use an environment that
designed for giving to the community for your own personal gains and not
play by the community rules is simply wrong on your part. You don't have to
give your work away, but you do need to respect the communities on the
internet that are designed around this wonderful ideal.
I only give you the above advice out of compassion and for your own good.
Please, do respect this community. Please respect what this precious
community is all about. These communities don't grow on trees and they are
actually quite fragile.
If you give this community the respect it deserves, you find the work and
respect given back to you by this community will FAR outweigh any time you
spend giving your time here.
--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pleaseNOO...@msn.com
>"Gina Whipp" <NotInt...@InViruses.com> wrote:
>
>>OMG... YOU have got to be kidding me! All I can say... INCOMING... DUCK!
>
><chuckle> I was rather startled myself to read Steve's posting.
>
>Tony
Three possibilities:
1. Steve in fact has an unexpected self-mocking sense of humor.
2. Somebody's spoofing Steve, in a pretty sophisticated way. The headers look
good to my untrained eye.
3. Steve's got even more chutzpah that I would have guessed (not QUITE as much
as the classic case of the boy who murdered his parents, and when tried
demanded a lenient sentance because he was a poor orphan).
--
John W. Vinson [MVP]
No $teve, you are a lame donkey and nothing more. You offering Tony paid
help is like me offering to give Paul McCartney song writing tips.
LOL I bet he gets e-mails like that by the bucketful.
Hi Tony, the text looks OK to me but I think what it lack is some
screenshots, maybe thumbnails that open large in another window?
Keith.
>> Could folks who have recently used the Auto FE Updater read the page
>> at http://www.autofeupdater.com/gettingstarted.htm and make
>> suggestions as to how to reword the text?
>>
>>
>
>Hi Tony, the text looks OK to me but I think what it lack is some
>screenshots, maybe thumbnails that open large in another window?
Hmm, good point.
Along with some graphics illustrating what all happens with arrows and such.
>You offering Tony paid
>help is like me offering to give Paul McCartney song writing tips.
Well, actually I'm a decent coder and UI designer but I'm not that
good at user friendly technical writing.
> I'm a decent coder and UI designer but I'm not that
> good at user friendly technical writing.
I doubt that many of us are. I'm certainly not, simply because it's
so difficult to figure out what the user needs to know, as opposed
to what *I* know.
In the case of your utility, you're at least writing for the
moderately sophisticated, and users probably have some programming
experience, so you don't have to worry about creating a document
that the receptionist can understand!
>> I'm a decent coder and UI designer but I'm not that
>> good at user friendly technical writing.
>
>I doubt that many of us are. I'm certainly not, simply because it's
>so difficult to figure out what the user needs to know, as opposed
>to what *I* know.
Exactly.
>In the case of your utility, you're at least writing for the
>moderately sophisticated, and users probably have some programming
>experience, so you don't have to worry about creating a document
>that the receptionist can understand!
Good point. That makes me feel a little better.
One thing that would be nice is an example of the folder layout for
multiple apps and the minimum network rights. I haven't distributed
multiple apps but my structure is like this
F:\AutoFE
\Exe
\Dev
\Production
\Desktop
In Exe I have your files. In Dev I place my app that I think is ready
for use. The Production folder contains the production app after the
client has looked at and approved the changes in Dev. Desktop contains
the icons for both Dev and Production. That seems to work well with one
app (but you might have a better, preferred layout). But what if one
has two or three apps they distribute? Besides the MDB in both Dev and
Production, what other files should be there as well?
I think you have CreateShortCutOnDesktop or
CreateShortCutOnCommonDesktop. It might seem obvious but I prefer it
spelled out or maybe a brief reason why.
>One thing that would be nice is an example of the folder layout for
>multiple apps and the minimum network rights. I haven't distributed
>multiple apps but my structure is like this
> F:\AutoFE
> \Exe
> \Dev
> \Production
> \Desktop
>
>In Exe I have your files. In Dev I place my app that I think is ready
>for use. The Production folder contains the production app after the
>client has looked at and approved the changes in Dev. Desktop contains
>the icons for both Dev and Production. That seems to work well with one
>app (but you might have a better, preferred layout). But what if one
>has two or three apps they distribute? Besides the MDB in both Dev and
>Production, what other files should be there as well?
Hmm, I see what you mean. Yes, a screen shot of some folder layouts
would make a lot of sesne.
>I think you have CreateShortCutOnDesktop or
>CreateShortCutOnCommonDesktop. It might seem obvious but I prefer it
>spelled out or maybe a brief reason why.
I don't undersand what you are trying to say here. I need to explain
CreateShortCutOnDesktop or ???
I think stating that the files typically stored in the folder are the
MDB, icons, and the generated INI file. That all those files get copied
over.
>
>
>>I think you have CreateShortCutOnDesktop or
>>CreateShortCutOnCommonDesktop. It might seem obvious but I prefer it
>>spelled out or maybe a brief reason why.
>
>
> I don't undersand what you are trying to say here. I need to explain
> CreateShortCutOnDesktop or ???
>
:). What's the diff between Common and simply desktop? Let's say
there's folder Documentss and Setting.
All Users
User1
User2
I assume Common is All users and CreateShortCutOnDesktop is specific for
User1 or User2? When I'm installing things I like to limit guessing and
thinking. On the web page it states "Self explanatory I hope. <smile>".
Yes and no. I guess if it stated something like "Common under All
Users, Desktop to specific user" there is no ambivelence or requirement
to guess or think.
Maybe something more detail on FilePath as well. What happens if
somebody has Access in C:\ProgramFiles\Office\ and another has it in
C:\Office? IF a user has A2007 and A2003, do you recommend having an
icon for both? This is something as a developer you would know but is
something a user needs to test/debug before implementing system wide.
When would anyone use Lockout=Yes?
If you put yourself in the shoes of a new user/installer and find a
sentence or two will clarify an issue, you're ahead of the game.
This is simply my nitpik, nothing major. Love the end result.
> Tony
> What's the diff between Common and simply desktop? Let's say
> there's folder Documentss and Setting.
> All Users
> User1
> User2
> I assume Common is All users and CreateShortCutOnDesktop is
> specific for User1 or User2? When I'm installing things I like to
> limit guessing and thinking. On the web page it states "Self
> explanatory I hope. <smile>".
> Yes and no. I guess if it stated something like "Common under
> All
> Users, Desktop to specific user" there is no ambivelence or
> requirement to guess or think.
Tony is using pretty standard terminology there, seems to me.
In any event, doesn't it break to put a shortcut on the All Users
desktop in Vista and later?
>I think stating that the files typically stored in the folder are the
>MDB, icons, and the generated INI file. That all those files get copied
>over.
Good point.
>>>I think you have CreateShortCutOnDesktop or
>>>CreateShortCutOnCommonDesktop. It might seem obvious but I prefer it
>>>spelled out or maybe a brief reason why.
>>
>>
>> I don't undersand what you are trying to say here. I need to explain
>> CreateShortCutOnDesktop or ???
>>
>:). What's the diff between Common and simply desktop? Let's say
>there's folder Documentss and Setting.
> All Users
> User1
> User2
>I assume Common is All users and CreateShortCutOnDesktop is specific for
>User1 or User2? When I'm installing things I like to limit guessing and
>thinking. On the web page it states "Self explanatory I hope. <smile>".
> Yes and no. I guess if it stated something like "Common under All
>Users, Desktop to specific user" there is no ambivelence or requirement
>to guess or think.
Ah, gotcha. Ok, thanks.
>Maybe something more detail on FilePath as well. What happens if
>somebody has Access in C:\ProgramFiles\Office\ and another has it in
>C:\Office? IF a user has A2007 and A2003, do you recommend having an
>icon for both? This is something as a developer you would know but is
>something a user needs to test/debug before implementing system wide.
Actually I'd then recommend that the person use FileExtension rather than FilePath
but I do see what you mean.
>When would anyone use Lockout=Yes?
You want to compact the backend or update the table structure. But yes I'll put that
in there.
>If you put yourself in the shoes of a new user/installer and find a
>sentence or two will clarify an issue, you're ahead of the game.
Trouble is I'm *exactly* not the end user. I have extreme difficulty putting myself
in those shoes. Which is why I *want* your comments.
>This is simply my nitpik, nothing major. Love the end result.
Much appreciated. Both your comments and the kind words.
>> What's the diff between Common and simply desktop? Let's say
>> there's folder Documentss and Setting.
>> All Users
>> User1
>> User2
>> I assume Common is All users and CreateShortCutOnDesktop is
>> specific for User1 or User2? When I'm installing things I like to
>> limit guessing and thinking. On the web page it states "Self
>> explanatory I hope. <smile>".
>> Yes and no. I guess if it stated something like "Common under
>> All
>> Users, Desktop to specific user" there is no ambivelence or
>> requirement to guess or think.
>
>Tony is using pretty standard terminology there, seems to me.
Yeah, but any questions anyone has I should be be making clearer so I do appreciate
Salad's comments.
>In any event, doesn't it break to put a shortcut on the All Users
>desktop in Vista and later?
Yes, and I have a message accordingly if the OS is Windows Vista or newer.
> Trouble is I'm *exactly* not the end user.
Didn't you create the damned thing for your own use and only later
make it available to others? Your apps need it, so you're an
end-user of your own utility, so have the right perspective. You
just don't necessarily have the same perspective as users would
have, since you know *how* it works, not just what it does.
I think you're worrying overmuch. I've always thought your
documentation was perfectly fine. It's certainly far superior to the
vast majority of software documentation originating from the Linux
side of the pond.
>"Tony Toews [MVP]" <tto...@telusplanet.net> wrote in
>news:jt5mb59gc0dhvivv1...@4ax.com:
>
>> Trouble is I'm *exactly* not the end user.
>
>Didn't you create the damned thing for your own use and only later
>make it available to others?
Yes. Although my client did pay me $500 for the first version that took me two
weeks to create in VB6.
>I think you're worrying overmuch. I've always thought your
>documentation was perfectly fine. It's certainly far superior to the
>vast majority of software documentation originating from the Linux
>side of the pond.
Ah, thanks. Never read Linux docs and have no plans for the immediate, near or
long term to start. <smile>
> "David W. Fenton" <XXXu...@dfenton.com.invalid> wrote:
>>I think you're worrying overmuch. I've always thought your
>>documentation was perfectly fine. It's certainly far superior to
>>the vast majority of software documentation originating from the
>>Linux side of the pond.
>
> Ah, thanks. Never read Linux docs and have no plans for the
> immediate, near or long term to start. <smile>
Well, you get dumped into "Linux documentation" any time you use an
Open Source software package, since that's where the vast majority
of them originate. Try the docs for Apache Server, for instance. It
might remind you of the old days of DOS software. And it's one of
the better ones, in fact.
>Isn't Linux that weird little dude in the Charlie Brown comic strip?
Hehehe