Discussion:
FVWM: I revised a text: How FVWM starts applications
Michael Großer
2011-12-29 16:51:34 UTC
Permalink
Hi!

I was reading
http://fvwmwiki.xteddy.org/Tips/FVWMStartupProcedure/
yesterday and today. This page was very hard to read, because:

1.) it contained some typos that caused me to recognize the typos first
before I could guess what was meant with these sentences

2.) very different topics were mixed up into one long text without
boundaries and summaries

3.) there are some English phrasings whose meaning I could only guess
after the second, third or fourth read, because they are a kind of
complex common speech that no dictionary known to me contains
(English is a foreign language for me)


3rd reason: English phrasings
=============================
The third reason is a reason where the reader has to do something:
Learn that bloody language! There was one phrasing (that one I guessed
(with other words, it will eliminate the shell as soon as it is ready
with spawning "foo").
I hope, my add-on is correct. It may be redundant, but this redundance
would help the reader to classify these two statements
so that we don't leave the shell around that FVWM used to spawn "foo"
and
The double "Exec exec" takes care of that for us
into the right context. (Take care of what? Around? Around what?
Oh, I see, LEAVE around! Span "foo"? Why not spawn "foo"? That would
make sense!)


1st reason: Typos
=================
Well, I corrected some typos and set some commas for the sake of
readability (span --> spawn, ...).


2nd reason: no boundaries and no summaries
==========================================
I got an account and chopped up this text into easily digestible bits
by separating the text into sections and inventing headers
(section titles). Altogether, I added two more levels and confined
the table of contents to the former two levels in order to ensure
that the TOC doesn't deface the introduction.

Someone could remove the bullets in section 3 (Miscellaneous things).
I left them there, because I tried to be minimal with my changes.
I want to test if my changes obtain acceptance at all.

Best regards,
Michael
Thomas Adam
2011-12-30 09:58:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by Michael Großer
Hi!
I was reading
http://fvwmwiki.xteddy.org/Tips/FVWMStartupProcedure/
... because it came from a mailing list post which often has more than
one subject raised?
Post by Michael Großer
1.) it contained some typos that caused me to recognize the typos first
   before I could guess what was meant with these sentences
It's a wiki, which means you can edit, can't you? If not, let me know
and I'll tweak it.

-- Thomas Adam
Michael Großer
2011-12-30 15:39:09 UTC
Permalink
Hi!
Post by Thomas Adam
Post by Michael Großer
Hi!
I was reading
http://fvwmwiki.xteddy.org/Tips/FVWMStartupProcedure/
... because it came from a mailing list post which often has more than
one subject raised?
This may be a cause. I only dared to criticise this text, because I
immediately revised the text and wanted to explain why I revised it
in the way I did.
Post by Thomas Adam
Post by Michael Großer
1.) it contained some typos that caused me to recognize the typos first
before I could guess what was meant with these sentences
It's a wiki, which means you can edit, can't you? If not, let me know
and I'll tweak it.
Seems that my changes are welcome? I just have the habit to explain
what I do, because I like it when other people explain their actions
too.

Michael
Thomas Adam
2011-12-30 18:13:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by Michael Großer
Seems that my changes are welcome? I just have the habit to explain
what I do, because I like it when other people explain their actions
too.
But then this defeats the point of the wiki. Just edit it, and if anyone
doesn't like it, in the time-honoured tradition of wikis, they'll revert
and/or amend the changes anyway.

-- Thomas Adam
--
"Deep in my heart I wish I was wrong. But deep in my heart I know I am
not." -- Morrissey ("Girl Least Likely To" -- off of Viva Hate.)
Thomas Adam
2011-12-30 23:08:19 UTC
Permalink
Post by Michael Großer
(with other words, it will eliminate the shell as soon as it is ready
with spawning "foo").
I hope, my add-on is correct. It may be redundant, but this redundance
would help the reader to classify these two statements
I had to go through and correct this to how it was before, because even
though you used $SHELL, that's *only* correct if you don't set ExecUseShell,
and it's hence enough to just use the word 'shell' to mean the shell FVWM is
using. No, mentioning ExecUseShell or $SHELL here, explicitly, confuses
things.

You've also gone through and added several commas to different parts of the
text where they were not needed. I'm not going to correct your misuse of
them, I don't care to, but be aware that you've now completely changed the
flow of text as originally written by me to make it considerably worse in
some areas.

The rest of your additions are mostly wiki-related; I don't mind those,
thanks.

-- Thomas Adam
--
"Deep in my heart I wish I was wrong. But deep in my heart I know I am
not." -- Morrissey ("Girl Least Likely To" -- off of Viva Hate.)
Michael Großer
2011-12-30 23:29:28 UTC
Permalink
Post by Thomas Adam
Post by Michael Großer
(with other words, it will eliminate the shell as soon as it is ready
with spawning "foo").
I hope, my add-on is correct. It may be redundant, but this redundance
would help the reader to classify these two statements
I had to go through and correct this to how it was before, because even
though you used $SHELL, that's *only* correct if you don't set ExecUseShell,
Are you sure that you mean these diffs?
http://git.xteddy.org/index.cgi?p=fvwmwiki.git;a=commitdiff;h=c78310ae93c53882d51db7a26eb1546d7b0c4090
http://git.xteddy.org/index.cgi?p=fvwmwiki.git;a=commitdiff;h=c727a3b7ca2895d521783f64b87135b787c0d8f9
http://git.xteddy.org/index.cgi?p=fvwmwiki.git;a=commitdiff;h=b5fa5cf393bb4a5bfcf3b1c618db652b84287e27

I didn't add a "$SHELL" anywhere. It must have been someone else then.
Post by Thomas Adam
and it's hence enough to just use the word 'shell' to mean the shell FVWM is
using. No, mentioning ExecUseShell or $SHELL here, explicitly, confuses
things.
You've also gone through and added several commas to different parts of the
text where they were not needed. I'm not going to correct your misuse of
them, I don't care to, but be aware that you've now completely changed the
flow of text as originally written by me to make it considerably worse in
some areas.
The rest of your additions are mostly wiki-related; I don't mind those,
thanks.
-- Thomas Adam
Thomas Adam
2011-12-30 23:35:22 UTC
Permalink
Post by Michael Großer
Post by Thomas Adam
Post by Michael Großer
(with other words, it will eliminate the shell as soon as it is ready
with spawning "foo").
I hope, my add-on is correct. It may be redundant, but this redundance
would help the reader to classify these two statements
I had to go through and correct this to how it was before, because even
though you used $SHELL, that's *only* correct if you don't set ExecUseShell,
Are you sure that you mean these diffs?
http://git.xteddy.org/index.cgi?p=fvwmwiki.git;a=commitdiff;h=c78310ae93c53882d51db7a26eb1546d7b0c4090
http://git.xteddy.org/index.cgi?p=fvwmwiki.git;a=commitdiff;h=c727a3b7ca2895d521783f64b87135b787c0d8f9
http://git.xteddy.org/index.cgi?p=fvwmwiki.git;a=commitdiff;h=b5fa5cf393bb4a5bfcf3b1c618db652b84287e27
I didn't add a "$SHELL" anywhere. It must have been someone else then.
That's really odd. I can see it clearl in my local history as coming from
you. Hmm, I trust the links above more. Sorry about that then.

-- Thomas Adam
--
"Deep in my heart I wish I was wrong. But deep in my heart I know I am
not." -- Morrissey ("Girl Least Likely To" -- off of Viva Hate.)
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