Re: So, You Want To Make Text Art?

Gerfried Fuchs <alf...@innocent.com> wrote in message news:slr...@pc9601.sie.siemens.at...
>  I don't currently know who said it, but:
> "There are three kind of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics!" <SCNR>

Disraeli said that, I do believe.



>  You think it's fact, me think it's pure bogus. I think we all will
> never come to a close guess on how many percent really are using that
> keyboard. And on the other hand: We don't have to care! This is an
> international group, isn't it? So you really want to leave the people
> that are using non us-keyboard layout keyboards out of this group? You
> can't guess how many people are using us-keyboards - but you think you
> can guess how many people interested in ascii-art and lurking/posting to
> aaa have an us-keyboard??  Sorry, but this sounds rediculous to me.
>
>  Maybe we should really just start a question round in here to see an
> quite (for I bet not all the lurkers will take part in it, maybe not
> even the regulars and/or newbies) exact percentage...  And I bet you
> that you will be astonished by the result. Try to prove me wrong :)

I don't know how many people have extended keyboards. Less than have
standard ones, I feel quite certain.

This is not really an International newsgroup, you know. It's American.
Usenet is American. You're even posting in English.


> > It's that condescending tone of that sentece that puts me off...
>
>  So it's not the chart, right? ... well, it's a a step in the right
> direction - to point out what _really_ is bugging you :)
>
> > It's not just the chars, it's the how-to they/we want. A list of rules isn't
> > enough by far.
>
>  It's not enough - but you can't leave them out, nevertheless.
>
> > Not everyone gets entertained by techy-stuff. I agee with JRO, people want to
> > know how to make their own art, and they want to start ASAP so a simple FAQ is
> > highly preferrable over a do's and don'ts list.
>
>  ... and then this paragraph:
> > And that tutorial has been inspired by one of the most Frequently Asked
> > Questions around, being "i want to start making my own ASCII-art but i don't
> > know how to start". That's exactly what a FAQ should be, a list of the most
> > Frequently Asked Questions and the answers to them.
>
>  You know that "what chars /should I/am I allowed to/ use?" is one of
> the Frequently Asked Questions? So somehow I think you have a little
> inconsistency in your thinking ;)

No, there is no inconsistency, here. I have yet to see anyone post to an
English-speaking newsgroup, using extended characters in what they have
to SAY. I imagine the majority of computer users, who have keyboards that
include extended characters, realize what they are.


>  So, if the feeling is the only thing that remains - why write the FAQ
> at all? A good feeling doesn't mean then that you remember the things in
> it... <SCNR>

Even the Facks are written in English. My tutorials are also written in
English, primarily for people who read English. English speakers/readers
DO make most of the posts to Usenet, you know. I did not leave out the
rest of the world, though. I do say "probably see on your keyboard". IF
someone has an extended character keyboard, who reads that tutorial, and
IF they don't know not to use extended keys in an English-speaking
newsgroup, even to make art, THEN it is a pretty simple matter to repost
or email them advice about that. IF they need it.

ON the OTHER hand... most of the people who DO post extended characters,
here ARE English-speaking people...

Aparently, the "foriengers" know their keyboards better, than the people
who have to use alt+number to make their extendeds...


>  I hope that you don't take this too personal - it's not meant that way.
> But I just think there is a little misunderstanding in what you wrote.

I doubt anyone did. There is no "background" behind your posting to this
thread, and I don't think anyone is offended by your opinion, or the points
you have brought up.

Be good..... JRO