[Zope] Re: reality check - The REAL issue

[Jeff K. Hoffman]

On Fri, 10 Dec 1999, Brian Salisbury wrote:

> Zope is way-to-difficult to use.  If you're a programmer, you can
> trudge through and figure out how Zope works.  But I'm not a programmer.
> I don't know what's going on at the code-level, and frankly, I don't
> want to have to know.  If Zope is to truly adopt a wide user base, it's
> got to be easy enough that the average user and install and deploy
> Zope. Right now, it's just to complicated for me use.

I have been thinking about this lately, and I began to wonder if Zope
really is difficult to use. Zope is an application server. An application
server is meant to be used to create applications, and in Zope's case web
applications. Of course, it can be used as a simple web server, but that
is certainly not the extent of its capabilities.

What is it that you are trying to do with Zope that you find difficult?
Installing it? Making simple, static web sites with it? Making simple,
dynamic web sites with it? Making complex, enterprise, e-commerce sites?
Each of these requires different proficiencies with Zope, and it's
important to identify of which we're speaking.

If it is much beyond writing a simple, somewhat dynamic site, then I fear
no amount of documentation could help the situation. The fact of the
matter is: Well designed, complex web applications require programming.
Programming is hard.

I am a programmer, and do not consider Zope difficult to use. I simply
think the documentation could be better structured (and more plentiful).
If I am having difficulty with something, it's generally because the map
in my mind is unexplored in that area. If the documentation were there to 
consistently push me in the right direction on tough topics, I would be
in heaven. A bit of theory, followed by detailed, step-by-step examples
would be wonderful. I have some more ideas in this regard, and will see
what I can do to contribute as my schedule allows.

The bottom line is that I require different documentation than others,
working at a higher level, might. Perhaps it would be useful to start a
dialogue about the different audiences to which documentation should be
written?

--Jeff