Re: lynx-dev Re: STARTFILE patch

[Henry Nelson]

> HN turns up once in a long while with loud advice for everyone,
> but he's very rarely around to answer all those anguished users

Touche.

> who suddenly can't get Lynx to start
> & can't even hit `h'elp because Lynx won't start
> & can't check  lynx.cfg  because they don't know what it is

All three of these are answered (or should be) by plain text
documentation in the distribution.  I cannot show a great deal
of pity for people who fail to read INSTALLATION, PROBLEMS and
other documentation thoroughly.  Particularly the last, if
"they" don't know what lynx.cfg is, then "they" simply have not
put in the effort.

> & can't get thro' to their always over-worked sysadmin:

If it is the sysadm's job to provide Lynx service, then there isn't
a lot we on lynx-dev can do if the sysadm is a slacker.  If Lynx
isn't a provided or supported service, then it is up to the user to
fill in the gap or answer his/her own needs.

> THEY are the people who call in here needing down-to-earth advice.
> the way to help them is to make the STARTFILE default something local

That is your opinion.  I happen to differ.  Making a decision about
a default is not giving advice, down-to-earth or otherwise.  I am well
aware of the instability of lynx.browser.org.  We COULD point everyone
to "http://www.jp.msn.com";, that _usually_ works.  Another possibility
perhaps is that of a hardcoded message that would tell the user that
Lynx isn't REALLY alive, i.e., how Lynx now supports users who are
activating bookmarks for the first time -- that would be a lot better
than MSIE which throws up a perfectly blank screen when it can't get
to msn.com.  At least there would be a brief message about possible
things to try.  This would also seem very appropriate for non-English
speakers, because then there would be at least the opportunity for NLS.

Anyway, you enjoy helping "all those anguished users," don't you :)

But like you say, I'm no longer an active participant.  It is truly
up to you who devote yourselves to Lynx to decide what is best.

__Henry