Re: So, You Want To Make Text Art?

On Sun, 02 Jan 2000 16:45:24 +0100, Veronica Karlsson <aci...@earthling.net>
provoked the following text:

>>    Most people post or read alt.ascii-art, for
>>    enjoyment. They don't have Swedish keyboards.
>
>Most Swedish computer users have Swedish keyboards. And I would expect
>most Finnish computer users to have Finnish keyboards, and most Spanish
>computer users to have Spanish keyboards, etc. The world *is* bigger
>than just northern America.

Here's my 2 bits worth: most people in Holland use a US-standard keyboard
layout.

>>    They use standard
>>    ones; 90-something percent of them do.
>
>Here's that "90%" figure I mentioned in that other reply. Again: Is it
>based on fact or did you invent it? (the fact that it's "90" here and
>"99" in the other version would suggest that you invented it)

I think it's fact, however i never saw any statistics on the use of keyboard
layouts.

>| No, no, no, MUST'NT use ones that are not on the chart!       |

It's that condescending tone of that sentece that puts me off...

>> They would like a plain, simple explanation. The simpler, the better.
>IMO a plain list of the "good" characters is quite simple.

It's not just the chars, it's the how-to they/we want. A list of rules isn't
enough by far.

>> Their interest in text-art is for pure entertainment.
>That's not a good excuse for giving bad advice, especially not since the
>subject is quite simple anyway. You don't need any simplification. You
>accused the FAQ of "looking down on" people. Well, you treat people as
>if they're not intelligent enough to read a simple list...

They are, and my guess is that they already read your list since you send it to
evey newcomer you come across.

>> They need basic help, that is easy
>> and entertaining to read. That's how you interest people in text art - not by
>> confronting them with a set of "rules", and no real how-to advice.
>I still don't see the need for something quite simple, and yes, a little
>"techy", to be *entertaining*.

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.

>>     Your "not intended to be bad" advice, doesn't interest or promote the
>> beginner ascii artist - it discourages him.
>
>It's not supposed to "interest or promote" anything. It's supposed to
>give the reader some reliable information. The *pictures* people make
>are what's supposed to do the "promoting". I don't see why turning the
>FAQ into a series of *cartoons* would automatically make it better.

It shows people how ASCI-art is being built, many people haven't got the
foggiest idea on how to even start makeing a pic.

>Also, there's a difference between a FAQ and a tutorial. What you have
>written are tutorials. 

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.

>> They are no fun to read.
>And?

So they won't stick. You read them once and forget them. Only thing that will
remain is the feeling it gave you when you read it.
-- 
        Peter Punk
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UNIX is not necessarily evil, like OS/2. - Peter Norton

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