ASL FAQ

[Jazz]

So, someone on the old ASLML was asking about replacement pages in the old ASLRB....and the first place I thought to direct him was the ASL FAQ.

In fact, the FAQ has a lot of information (e.g what overlay got published in what product) that often gets queried around here.

http://www.grognard.com/faqs/FAQ0.htm

Worth a look if you're mining for information.

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

What I would really like to see is somebody go through the rules question section once a year and compile of summary of FAQ ignoring what is already common or tribal knowledge but spelling out the critical, new controversies e.g., grain on hill hexes or conclusions (are there really ever such things until a Perry sez) e.g., a BU tank unbuttoning during the Movement Phase. It is a shame that the Q&A falls off after so much time or at least I think it does.

Obviously that somebody won't be me since I leaned in the Army never to volunteer. However, I generally run through this forum before ASLOK doing precisely that, making an extract of rules discussions.

 

[ecz]

So, someone on the old ASLML was asking about replacement pages in the old ASLRB....and the first place I thought to direct him was the ASL FAQ.

In fact, the FAQ has a lot of information (what got published in what product) that often gets queried around here.

http://www.grognard.com/faqs/FAQ0.htm

Worth a look if you're mining for information.

FANTASTIC
it's a great help, at any level.
Only part 5 is not very useful. not useful for expert players and not useful for newbies because both categories should search their answers elsewhere.

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Is the ASLML still ALIVE?

 

[Jazz]

Is the ASLML still ALIVE?

Barely. Maybe one or two fussilades of 2-5 messages on a topic every month or so.

Not sure, but the question I'm refering to might have been oa message from the Central Texas Yahoo group?

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Barely. Maybe one or two fussilades of 2-5 messages on a topic every month or so.

Not sure, but the question I'm refering to might have been oa message from the Central Texas Yahoo group?

That's a possibility.

Thanaks Jazz.

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Barely. Maybe one or two fussilades of 2-5 messages on a topic every month or so.

Not sure, but the question I'm refering to might have been oa message from the Central Texas Yahoo group?

Has anyone ever heard from Paul Ferraro since the ASLML became so quiet?

 

[Michael R]

Just a little while ago, Paul posted a message about unsubscribing someone whose email address spammed the list.

 

[Rock SgtDan]

...the ASL FAQ.

In fact, the FAQ has a lot of information (e.g what overlay got published in what product) that often gets queried around here.

http://www.grognard.com/faqs/FAQ0.htm

Worth a look if you're mining for information.

Seems to have a lot of out of date information as well. Statements about Modules for example. How come nobody has updated it?

For example, anyone still using a 1st ed rulebook probably knows what's what. So discussions of rules should not include anything about the differences between 1st and 2nd, but presume the reader is using 2nd. Instructions for converting 1st to the data in 2nd should be in a completely separate place, for those who won't just buy a 2nd ed.

 

[Danish]

Some funny stuff in there

For example, compare this:

[0.0] VERSION HISTORY

This is v2.20, dated 1 January 2002.
Revisions:

2.20: First update in a VERY long time, so MANY things changed.

with this:

[11.15] Why isn't there an electronic ASLRB?

A lot of people think it would be great to have the ASLRB available on CD-ROM. MMP agree; they are working on such a product, publishing date unknown.

I seriously doubt it will come out on a CD-ROM though :laugh:

 

[Vinnie]

My monies on a 12" LP complete with gatefold sleeve (and as a freudian slip I first typed that as gatefold sleaze!)

 

[Danish]

My monies on a 12" LP complete with gatefold sleeve (and as a freudian slip I first typed that as gatefold sleaze!)

:laugh:
Laser disc anyone?

 

[Rock SgtDan]

Bally on an 8-Track please.

But seriously, the hosting location is considered "authoritative" and the line items well thought out. Really needs people to upkeep various parts.

 

[Jazz]

Bally on an 8-Track please.

But seriously, the hosting location is considered "authoritative" and the line items well thought out. Really needs people to upkeep various parts.

But seriously, are you willing to pay them? Somebody put in a lot of time effort to set it up, kept it up for a number of years, and then decided to move on. I think you are falling into the common trap that people who design/support ASL are doing this as their day job and it should be performed to that level. Most of them have other jobs and (eventually) normal lives that make demands on their time.

It's an old site, that still has a lot of useful information, albeit some of it dated.

I for one feel the useful information trumps the few bit of dated information. I would not want to see it go away.

YMMV.

 

[Rock SgtDan]

The large amount of outdated information that come up in searches is a problem. It makes all information found untrustworthy. Everyone should DATE everything. List owners should at least show the date a file was posted/modified. The item in question is well laid out; worth copying & updating & reposting.

 

[Jazz]

The large amount of outdated information that come up in searches is a problem. It makes all information found untrustworthy. Everyone should DATE everything. List owners should at least show the date a file was posted/modified. The item in question is well laid out; worth copying & updating & reposting.

I agree it is worth maintaining and cleaning up.

I don't have the time or wherewithal to do it. You sound like you're fairly new to the game so I wouldn't expect you to have the background in the history of the game to do so? Might be a good exercise to familiarize yourself? A bit of an undertaking I'd think.

Is there someone out there with the right background to update and maintain the FAQ? I dunno.

I suppose Pitman feels his site fills the same niche....and maybe he's right. Might be worth checking it out:

http://www.desperationmorale.com/

See if it answers some of you questions.

 

[Drow]

The large amount of outdated information that come up in searches is a problem. It makes all information found untrustworthy. Everyone should DATE everything. List owners should at least show the date a file was posted/modified. The item in question is well laid out; worth copying & updating & reposting.

There is a lot that needs to be updated, but it's still a great site, I look at it as a stepping stone to finding the right answers. When you do read the outdated information and then find the updated information, it gives one (or at least me a sense of why it was updated to start with.
It's hard to run a web site, even if you have business. I ran my on-line shop for 15 years or so and hated to up-date anything. Running a site is like another full time job, after awile I just couldn't even think about it, so I closed mine down last month. It's not just as simple as typing on here, hitting the enter key to drop down a line. There's code for that, code for the links, checking there rechecking to see how it fits in your page. If you're doing it by you're wee self, it's a pain.

Bill

 

[Rock SgtDan]

>When you do read the outdated information...

You have no idea that it IS outdated. Until maybe some time in the future you stumble across something contradictory... then you need to figure out WHICH is the outdated information. What a PIA.

 

[bprobst]

The FAQ will be updated when someone in a position to host and maintain it says "that's a job I want to do". It's OK if you're not that person; it's not OK to bitch about nobody else being that person either.

I took on the job of updating the FAQ when it became clear that the previous maintainer had lost interest and I thought it was something that I could do to help the ASL community. Eventually I grew tired of the job (and that was pre-web; back then, it was just a text file that was emailed on a regular basis) and NJ Hickman volunteered to take over. He webified it (a tremendous improvement), did some updates and then he became tired of the job, and no-one came forward to take it over. So it is what it is.

The FAQ is an old resource that, in places, suffers from its age; in other places, it is still as relevant and useful as it ever was. It's offered to you for free and you and you alone can decide whether you're getting your money's worth from it.

 

[Rock SgtDan]

So you can edit it? I've been engaged in figuring out module versions... so when I get my personal notes "done" I could submit it for proofing & you could insert it...