Re: Re: Documentation - what is the big secret?
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg87578] Re: [mg87526] Re: Documentation - what is the big secret?
- From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
- Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:34:04 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
- References: <fti3v2$oho$1@smc.vnet.net> <ftkbce$b8b$1@smc.vnet.net> <ftncpi$89h$1@smc.vnet.net> <200804121058.GAA00036@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu
Bravo!!! Indeed, that Wolfram DID do this with earlier versions is one reason they succeeded so well, I believe (but have no data beyond anecdote to confirm). AES wrote: > > ...Anyone with a decade or so of experience in buying and using software > knows that major vendors who are busy developing a new consumer software > product or a major new release of an existing product often bring in one > or more trusted outside authors of known skill at writing user manuals > or introductory books, to write exactly such books about their emerging > product. > > In general, they give these outside authors full advance access to the > emerging product (with suitable nondisclosure agreements), so that the > resulting books can emerge simultaneously or very soon after the product > itself. > > The results of doing this are almost always good for the vendor > (increased publicity and sales, and their staff can focus totally on the > product, not the user documentation); good for the authors (who have > skills that the vendor's employees may never have); and most of all, > good for the ultimate users of the product. > > So, I'd really like to know: why the h-ll did Wolfram (apparently) not > do this with 6.0?!? (At least, I have yet to see the results of any > such effort on amazon.) A disastrous, or at least highly damaging, > failure, at least in my opinion. > -- 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
- References:
- Re: Documentation - what is the big secret?
- From: AES <siegman@stanford.edu>
- Re: Documentation - what is the big secret?