Re: [tlug] Japanese page has been revised

[Matt Gushee <mgushee@example.com>]

Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> I don't seem to be getting Matt's posts so I'm replying to Scott.  I
> wonder why my spam filter doesn't like Matt?  Stay tuned ....

Maybe because a lot of people have "borrowed" my domain name for spam? I 
wish I could make them stop ... a guy from my local LUG came up with a 
clever tactic; the gist of it was that if you put the right legal 
incantations on your Web site, you could sue people under the DMCA[1] 
for spoofing your domain name--or credibly threaten to, which is usually 
much more pleasant. I asked him if he'd tried it; he said no, but he'd 
report back when he had ... he's been in poor health, though, so maybe 
he never got around to it. Maybe I'll just have to go first.

>     Scott> On Sun, Aug 14, 2005 at 02:01:43PM -0600, Matt Gushee
>     Scott> wrote:
> 
>     >> I do think, though, that someone, somewhere ought to provide an
>     >> overview of how Japanese input works and what kinds of software
>     >> components are needed. It seems to me that, back in the day,
>     >> Craig Oda's documents did a pretty good job in that
>     >> respect. They're very out of date now, and apparently no longer
>     >> available, but they certainly helped me and many others to
>     >> understand concepts like "input method" and "conversion
>     >> server."
> 
> You could always buy Linux Nihongo Kankyo.  :-)

Not really an issue for me personally. I think you know I've been around 
Linux for a while; ubergeek though I may not be, I generally get things 
working, through sheer stubbornness if nothing else. But these days all 
sorts of rabble are being encouraged to use Linux. Seems to me you can 
either embrace that trend--in which case more user-friendly 
documentation about a lot things is desirable--or just not worry about 
helping newbies at all. Half-measures are frustrating for everyone.

BTW, I've tried several Japanese Linux distros, both free-as-in-beer and 
for-pay. Wasn't really impressed with any of them; the last one I tried 
was Kondara, but I was scared away by their voodoo kernels. Anyhow, 
their target market is actual Japanese people. Like, I suspect, most 
gaijin who use Japanese, my Linux needs & prefs are a bit eccentric.

[1] That's the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, for those who don't keep
     up with US politics (lucky you!).

--
Matt Gushee
Englewood, CO, USA