Thread: Site needs - urgently - Technical Information update

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Update is really needed - in many places currently the site has outdated or even incorrect information about using Russian under Windows.

People who decided to study Russian would have enough problems with grammar et al - they at least should not have problems with technical part if you provide them with correct instructions

Please see details in my 3-part message (issues in Faq, on Links page and on Writing menu option) at

http://masterrussian.net/mforum/viewtop ... 5838#65838

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Why don't you simply write a How-to for this site (similar to outdated ones) instead of advertising your website, which we already linked to?

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

Why don't you simply write a How-to for this site (similar to outdated ones) instead of advertising your website, which we already linked to?

1) I've already answered this question in the thread to which I posted a link above - too many versions of Windows with different scenario - will be TOO much text here - please see the size of my Keyboard instruction page!

That is - saw on many sites - there are 2 cases:

a) people try to write a short instruction - with very bad results, like here now - not all versions of Windows covered and those that are covered have mistakes and incomplete information -
some info is always missing to have the text smaller and a user, especially computer-novice would have troubles and could easily fail...

b) people have a link to the instructions site's article - it's what you did on your F&P page giving a link
"The unofficial Russian leaner's FAQ" on http://www.masterrussian.com/blfandp.shtml

It's just so happen that those instrcutions are not correct, but in general this way - giving a link to detailed instructions - provides your readers with MUCH better way to tune-up computer without any troubles.

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> which we already linked to?

I know, I saw that - in Fonts section - but my point was that you have a link to "FAQ" page at F&P which provides wrong FAQ in its Technical part...

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I personally think that long manuals are confusing. People do NOT read them. Very few people have patience to read a whole website just on the subject of typing in Russian. Short manuals are the best and that's the preferred format we'll host on our website (I know that may be hard but they say "Краткость -- сестра таланта".) Links are fine but, hey, you've got one already.

F&P links are not intended for any reference per se. They are simply a list of people who linked back to us. We do not manage the content on such websites.

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

I personally think that long manuals are confusing. People do NOT read them.

I would not insist, it's your site, so just as a side discussion:

We are talking about NON-computer professionals.

If a person must learn how to type in Russian then s/he will read "the manual"

How did you come to the conclusion that I cited above? How many people told you that?

I have thousands
My keyboard instruction was VERY short when I started back in 1997 -
and then novices started to bombard me with requests, "Please, explain so and so in more details, we don't know computers well enough to fill out the blanks"

It's how it grew to the current size and detail level AND - opposite to your opinion - people not just read it "with anger that it's large" but they LIKE it! Because it lets them in 15 minutes to do the thing - activate keyboard tools - no questions on the way, no problems and unknowns on the way.

Please see just couple of responses - from real people some you may even know - the responses support my opinion:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepage ... htm#thanks

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It looks like you are pushing your website too much.

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

It looks like you are pushing your website too much.

No, I did write that your are the owner and that I have stopped to offer my site - see 1st sentense of previous message -

I just - as a side topic, generic issue - NOT related to my site - wanted to tell you that many people do like detailed instructions (NOT only mine, just detailed!!) - it let's them to avoid any struggle with the things unknown to them -as responses you saw state clearly.

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As long as the site is free and provides information that someone may find useful, I do not see why it is such a problem that he promotes it. It is not like how LearningRussian.com will send someone over here with the express purpose of directing people away from the free information on MR to their for-pay courses.

To Pavel: I think the reason he is so mad at you is because you began the thread with, "Update is really needed - in many places currently the site has outdated or even incorrect information about using Russian under Windows." instead of, "In case anybody needs more information on using Russian encoding under Windows I have some pages on it." Usually when you are trying to persuade someone to do something a different way, it is best not to start your plea by insulting the way they are already doing it.

Originally Posted by mike

Usually when you are trying to persuade someone to do something a different way, it is best not to start your plea by insulting the way they are already doing it.

I agree and am sorry if it looked that way - it was not intentional.

My thought were:

- the site is about language etc and NOT about technical issues. That is, Administation defintely checks all the time news and progress information in the "language learning" area BUT not in Technical area -
they places say back in 1999 in the left main menu "Writing" link that leads to Windows 95 (!) information and never updated it to say 2000 or XP - and it's understandable - because it si NOT the part of the main line of the site!

So being in the opposite situation - knowing nothing about news and progress in "language learning" area and knowing a lot (constantly looking at all sources) in the area of Technical support of Cyrillic, I though I need -
for the benefit of users - place a High Level Warning about current Technical informations on this site - because it's very bad currently for users - they will find either outdated or incomplete/incorrect information and will not be able to write in Russian

Knowing that it's "priority #1001" for Administration - because again, it's outside of the main line of this site - I phrased my mesage as I did - to let them know that it really requires immediate attention...

Sorry again if it sounded as insult - the goal was to let people who do NOT know the area that situation is so bad...

I mean, I don't know area of "learning languages" and if on my site as a 'side note' I'd post some 'bad for visitors' learning-related information, I would like if a person who does know that area warns me in such a manner that I do understand how important it is to update/correct the infromation -
otherwise if they just write me very softly, "You know, you may want to update so and so", I could ignore or postpone the changes - it's outside of the main line of my site!

See?

Looks like Administration has different view on such subject and I apologize again that I did that in the manner I would like others to warn me about problems on my site when they are outside of the main subject of my site and are of 'low priority'...
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Yes, we plan to update technical information on russification in the future. Right now, many people find answers to their Russian typing questions from other users on this forum.