SC - Flori-thingy-OT-OOP (continued)

[Stefan li Rous]

Ras said:
> I agree with you in principle but I see no need for headers or footers or 23 
> messages that say the same thing. I understand what Lord Stefan is trying to 
> do and he knows that I support his efforts 100%. I just think that the noise 
> factor can be reduced to a significant degree resulting in the use of less 
> space and less time reading the files. Yes, I know how much time it would 
> take but the resulting archives would be easier to use and much more useful, 
> IMO.

I think I covered the reason I keep the headers and footers in most
messages well enough in my earlier message.

Why are there seemingly duplicate messages in a single file? Well, it
is seldom that two messages are exactly identical. Often while much of
the two messages are the same, each person adds a little bit more or
says it in a different way. While I could edit out the repeated part
in a later message, you can then end up with a message so chopped up
that it is difficult to follow. If a message gives say three different
recipes, one for sausage, one for a soup and one for pancakes, I may
copy this message three times putting it in each of the sausage-msg, 
soup-msg and the pancakes-msg files. I then edit out the recipes that
don't apply to that file, usually leaving a note that the recipe can
be found in such and such a file.

Sometimes there are duplicate messages in a file simply because my
memory is not perfect. I may forget that that recipe or a message
very similar to that one is already in the file. I don't have time to
keep reviewing files that have already been created. I have enough
problems just keeping up with this list. And people wonder why I
haven't had time to play with that sugarpaste I ordered several years
ago. Or why I don't have time to research whether pigs were fat or
thin in the Middle Ages. For those that are new to this list, that
is an ongoing argument between me and Ras. I found some neat new
evidence that supports some of my contentions, and actually some of
Ras'. I just need to dig it out again and post it.
 
> Also after a subject has been discussed the error posts can be eliminated 
> completely why keep a post that says that a blade of grass is green after one 
> that correctly identifies it as green is received later? Eliminate the 
> garbage and Stefan's archives would be a boon to the world, IMO.

Well, I've heard from a few folks who think they are a boon, at least to
the Known World, now. :-) But I'm not sure why I would replace a
message that said a blade of grass was green with another one that
correctly identifies it as green is recieved later. :-)

Ras, you've made comments about "How could you (Stefan) come to such a 
foolish conclusion" etc. Do you REALLY want me editing out all comments 
that don't conform to my ideas of what is correct and what is an error?
There'd be a lot of messages that say don't make the recipe unless
you have a written recipe for it, missing for instance. :-)

I think Master Cariadoc even has recipes in his books that include
saffron, even if he considers the use of saffron to be a scribal
error. :-) (For those new to this list, Cariadoc just doesn't like
saffron.)

However, I do have a partial solution. If someone wants to take my
files and create either FAQ type files from them, or some kind of
Reader's Digest version, I would be willing to consider adding them
to the Florilegium under your name. Of course, I would like to see
such files updated periodically as more information becomes available.

Do enough of this and I will figure out how to give you access to
the Florilegium or an area of it, to update new material on your
own.

I might also be willing to create some editor positions for 
particular areas of the Florilegium.

I often spend 10 to 20 hours a week on the Florilegium and I'm
still not getting it done as well as could be done. I'd love to
spread the work around some.
 
> What is the perfect archive? Thoughts? Mine have been submitted. :-)

Thanks.
  Stefan

- -- 
Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****