Tom,
Well, Howard is apprently writing another book. A beginners book.
Which is great. He could (should to save the planet) sell it in the
form of an e-Book.
Bottom line is, learning AFL and what it can do, is exactly the same
as learning any other language (e.g. C#). I don't think its too much
to ask to have the same level & quality of available documentation in
order to complete the task.
If you expect people to learn a proprietary language, therefore tying
them to your product, you've got to supply the correct information, in
the correct format, to help people get where they're going. Surely?
Or am I off the reservation here...? ;-)
--- In amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com,
<professor@x..> wrote:
>
> To have a manual that is complete and current would take a lot of
time and effort not only to write the manual, but to also keep it
current. I would suggest that if someone wants to take the trouble to
write and update the manual, they could have a pay site with the
manual on it. They could charge a nominal annual membership fee. Then
the members could have access to the manual all year and the writer or
writers would have a least received some compensation for their effort.
>
> I realize that this would not be a big money making effort, but it
would be helpful to the members and provide some compensation to the
writer. It could even be presentated as an ebook which could be
downloaded. The members would be able to get an up dated ebook as
changes, corrections, and additions are added.
>
> I think that if the annual membership was reasonable, enough people
would subsribe to make it feasilbe. I would be glad to provide help
with a web site and producing the ebook.
>
> Just my humble suggestion,
> Tom
>
> I
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: brian_z111
> To: amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com
> Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:13 AM
> Subject: [amibroker] Re: Help Manual
>
>
> Howard hasn't posted for a while.
>
> We can't presume... he is a volunteer also and doesn't make much
> money out of his books... unless AB is paying?
>
> It comes down to Tomasz.
> Hopefully Herman is talking to Tomasz.
> Herman is very good in that role.
>
> Remember that Herman, Tomasz and I have worked together before.
>
> We know each other quite well, in that regard e.g they know I am a
> bit grumpy to work with and Herman knows the way I like to work...I
> always wanted to have an open format.... there was support for a Wiki
> Help Manual at the ATP.... in the workforce I found out that people
> can be trusted... if you trust them they won't let you down.
>
> I used to post my files on the company intranet, without any
> protection, and no one ever did them any harm.
>
> We should have learnt the lessons from the UKB and now we need to
> move on to markII - I hope it wasn't all for nothing - we are so
> close.
>
> It would be a shame to waste all of it.
>
> brian_z
>
> --- In amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com,
"lou" <loulh@> wrote:
> >
> > This is one post I strongly agree with. Perhaps Howard should be
> brought
> > into the discussion on how to help finance a new book. Perhaps a
> guaranteed
> > number of sales or whatever.
> >
> > PS - The many many good ideas raise hope that this time a solution
> will
> > indeed be found.
> >
> > lou howard
> > =====================================================
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "sidhartha70" <sidhartha70@>
> > To: <amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com>
> > Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 2:57 AM
> > Subject: [amibroker] Re: Help Manual
> >
> >
> > > Brian is right that the Help manual is incomplete and inadequate.
> > >
> > > I don't buy the argument that "we shouldn't expect it to be
> complete
> > > because AmiBroker is cheap".
> > >
> > > I know it's just TJ and Marcin, but that's TJ's choice. I've
> stated
> > > before, and I'll state again, I would happily pay $500 for
> AmiBroker
> > > IF it had great on-line help manuals. IF it had something along
> the
> > > lines of a decent beginners, intermediate and advanced users
> guide.
> > > And I'm sure new incremental users would come on board as
> AmiBroker
> > > becomes more 'accessbile' to the masses.
> > >
> > > I took the plunge with AmiBroker, and there is absolutely no
> doubting
> > > it's a fine product.
> > >
> > > The users of AmiBroker deserve to get the same support as they
> would
> > > if they chose to purchase one of the C# based alternatives -
> namely
> > > Ninja, RightEdge or OpenQuant etc. IF they have to pay more for
> that
> > > support, then so be it... TJ can hire someone to work solely on
> new
> > > user guides for the next 6 months. Shouldn't cost too much.
> > >
> > > Let's pretend that Howard produces a 'beginners' book for
> AmiBroker,
> > > then another one for more advanced users, say focusing on the
> custom
> > > backtester... suddenly we've got three books for AmiBroker
coming
> in
> > > at $50 each... that's $150.
> > >
> > > Personally I'd be happy with either solution. A Howard provided
> > > alternative that costs $150, or an in-house AmiBRoker one that
> adds
> > > $150 to AB price.
> > >
> > > But let's at least have one of the two alternatives.
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com,
"Steve Dugas" <sjdugas@> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Jeez Brian, even TJ admits that everything is not perfect,
but
> there
> > > are
> > >> only 24 hours in a day and how much harder do you think he
can
> work?
> > > He is
> > >> human like the rest of us, if you spot an error or ommision,
just
> > > report it
> > >> so he can fix it.
> > >>
> > >> Steve
> > >>
> > >> ----- Original Message -----
> > >> From: "brian_z111" <brian_z111@>
> > >> To: <amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com>
> > >> Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 7:08 PM
> > >> Subject: [amibroker] Help Manual
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> >
> > >> > There are far too many Help Manual questions posted in
this
> forum.
> > >> >
> > >> > This takes up our valueable time answering questions
that
> should have
> > >> > been answered by AmiBroker.
> > >> >
> > >> > In fact they waste far more time than OT posts.
> > >> >
> > >> > Our precious time would be far better spent answering
more
> interesting
> > >> > questions.
> > >> >
> > >> > Some of the features in AB aren't explained in the
manual,
> some things
> > >> > are out of date and sometimes the explanations are a
bit
> cryptic.
> > >> >
> > >> > Example:
> > >> >
> > >> > Prettify was added to the Formula Editor in beta
version 5.04
> > >> > - included in devlog under version 5.05 Feb08
> > >> > - official release v5.10 in June08 which includes
manual 5.10
> > >> >
> > >> > Ami website PDF manual is still version 5.00
> > >> >
> > >> > - Search PDF for prettify == nothing
> > >> > - Search
AB manual version 5.1 for
prettify == nothing
> > >> > - Use
AB site search engine == nothing
> > >> > - Google amibroker.com == 3 hits from devlog
> > >> > - devlog records release but has no info about it and
no
> > > explanation in
> > >> > the read me
> > >> > - searched KB == nothing
> > >> > - searched UKB == nothing
> > >> >
> > >> > The screenshot of the FE edit dropdown menu, in the
Help
> Manual is out
> > >> > of date (at least it looks different to my version
5.10)
> > >> >
> > >> > http://www.amibroker.com/guide/w_afledit.html
> > >> >
> > >> > The Devlog just says that the Prettify function was
added ...
> > > looked in
> > >> > the AFL function list and couldn't find anything... is
it a
> > > function or
> > >> > a function()?
> > >> >
> > >> > New features should be explained in the official help
manual
> that
> > > comes
> > >> > out immediately after the beta inclusion.
> > >> > We should not have to search elsewhere but even if we
do we,
> in this
> > >> > case, we still find nothing.
> > >> >
> > >> > It shouldn't be up to volunteers to explain help manual
items
> in this
> > >> > forum, or the UKB, or anywhere else.
> > >> >
> > >> > It saves AB some effort if they don't have to keep the
manual
> up to
> > >> > date but the effort is transferred to the volunteers,
who have
> to
> > >> > answer it scores of times, instead of AB answering it
once.
> > >> >
> > >> > If we all took the rationalist approach, that some
people are
> > >> > advocating e.g. "users should have skills or lower
their
> sights or pay
> > >> > Graham", and charged AB for the time we spend
providing AB
> support
> > > then
> > >> > the program would cost thousands of dollars and
wouldn't look
> so
> > > cheap,
> > >> > up against other software, afterall
> > >> >
> > >> > brian_z
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > ------------------------------------
> > >> >
> > >> > Please note that this group is for discussion between
users
> only.
> > >> >
> > >> > To get support from AmiBroker please send an e-mail
directly to
> > >> > SUPPORT {at} amibroker.com
> > >> >
> > >> > For NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENTS and other news always
check
> DEVLOG:
> > >> > http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/
> > >> >
> > >> > For other support material please check also:
> > >> > http://www.amibroker.com/support.html
> > >> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Please note that this group is for discussion between users
only.
> > >
> > > To get support from AmiBroker please send an e-mail directly to
> > > SUPPORT {at} amibroker.com
> > >
> > > For NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENTS and other news always check
DEVLOG:
> > > http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/
> > >
> > > For other support material please check also:
> > > http://www.amibroker.com/support.html
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>