annoying documentation in 6 (rant)
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg78940] annoying documentation in 6 (rant)
- From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
- Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:04:57 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
- Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu
An example of how "hype" has intruded into the documentation in Mathematica 6 is the paragraph at the top of the page guide/NewIn60AlphabeticalListing: By far the largest release since Version 1.0 in 1988, Version 6.0 adds a remarkable breadth of new functionality. As well as introducing several major new fundamental concepts, it adds nearly a thousand new functions, and significantly enhances a large fraction of all existing Mathematica functions. I have no objection to the assertion that Mathematica 6.0 is "by far the largest release since Version 1.0", or that it "adds nearly a thousand new functions", or that it "significantly enhances a large fraction of all existing Mathematica functions." But... Must it say "remarkable breadth of new functionality"? Must there be the sledge hammer of "major new fundamental concepts"? Is it really necessary in the documentation explicitly to remind users as to how wonderful Mathematica, and Mathematica 6.0 in particular, is? Is this sort of stuff aimed at making folks feel good about their purchase and use of Mathematica 6.0? Or, since the same documentation appears on the Wolfram web site, does the problem arise from confounding advertising with documentation? Sorry for the rant. -- Murray Eisenberg murray at math.umass.edu Mathematics & Statistics Dept. Lederle Graduate Research Tower phone 413 549-1020 (H) University of Massachusetts 413 545-2859 (W) 710 North Pleasant Street fax 413 545-1801 Amherst, MA 01003-9305
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: annoying documentation in 6 (rant)
- From: János <janos.lobb@yale.edu>
- Re: annoying documentation in 6 (rant)