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The Frequently Asked Questions file, or FAQ, is a term derived
from the Internet, specifically from Usenet. Many Usenet groups
have FAQs, some of them mature well before the Web came to
prominence in the mid-1990s. As a result, FAQs can not only
be found in Web sites for companies and organizations, but in
the print media as well.
Most Usenet FAQs (those for the sci.engr.* groups are a notable
exception) are periodically posted to moderated newsgroup
news.answers, and a search of
that group may well lead you to a FAQ on a topic of interest.
The Usenet FAQs are thought of as "the first generation of
community memory." Submission of FAQs to news.answers is one
way (though not the only way) to ensure archival and ongoing use.
You may be interested in creating a FAQ as soon as you are
asked the same question at least twice. :-)
Here are some design suggestions for creators of FAQs:
- Keep them short.
- Break them up by topic as needed.
- Have a means of version control. Especially
if there is a chance that others will republish it.
- Don't even hope for FAQs to stop disagreements
on the subject. FAQs don't stop flame wars.
They don't (and shouldn't) limit free speech.
- Don't even hope for FAQs to stop people from
asking inappropriate questions, making
inappropriate comments, or just generally showing
up in the wrong place.
- Maintain them. This is difficult in
most cases, until the FAQ is mature. Even then, advances
in a field and make even the mature topics irrelevant.
- Develop them by consensus. The FAQ
shouldn't limit free speech, but at the same time it
doesn't have to contain everyone's opinion.
- Maintain editorial control.
- Update and re-deliver them as needed.
If a FAQ is made available publicly, do it often enough
that people know it's there, but not so often as to
constitute spam.
- Have suitable contact information.
- Limit the use of non-textual content.
Especially if it's to be e-mailed or posted to Usenet.
ASCII text, no special characters or word-wrap, is best.
- Limit the size. Especially if it's to
be e-mailed or posted to Usenet or on the Web.
- There is no universal style. Many
FAQ maintainers like QAQAQA...
- Include references. Don't cut corners
here.
- Recognize that others will use that FAQ,
and have the widest copyright possible to accommodate them.
Most FAQs don't make money. (I personally copyright the
sci.engr.* FAQs as a means of version control.)
Even when a FAQ is in place, someone will ask where it is.
This may be because
- They don't know where it is.
- They missed an announcement that expired at their site
or went out with the trash.
- They were looking for something else and accidentally
overlooked the announcement.
- They don't know how to find it with a search.
- It can't be found with a search.
- They read sequentially, scrolling down, rather than
jumping around or searching.
These are not sins, and should not be taken personally.
Likewise, even when a FAQ is in place, someone will ask a
question that's been answered. Be gentle. :-)
References
The sci.engr.* FAQs
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