Cleaning Your Dash

[djanderso]

Zee, any chance of an FAQ about FAQs? :D

[Zee007]

FAQ on FAQs: ;)

1) WHAT ARE FAQs?

1.1) What does FAQ stand for?

FAQ is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. It is also

sometimes used as the singular Frequently Asked Question (Although

when was the last time you heard only one question?).

Some have called it Frequently Answered Questions as well. This

isn't necessarily correct, but it isn't necessarily wrong either. It

effectively has the same meaning.

A compilation of Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers) is

referred to as a FAQ list or FAQ article. Sometimes the term FAQ

itself is used to refer to the article - as an example, I refer to

this article as a FAQ about FAQs.

1.2) How is FAQ pronounced?

FAQ is pronounced three ways:

1. By pronouncing the letters individually: F - A - Q

2. As a word: fack

3. Obscenely: <figure it out on your own>

The first two pronunciations are the most common, and are used about

equally. Some will say F - A - Q if they are speaking with someone

that really doesn't know the Internet. Those who are lazy (me for

example) will use "fack", since it is easier to say. Often when

initiating a conversation it is useful to say F - A - Q, and then

once the subject has been established, "fack" should be sufficient.

You will notice that in this document I use the phrase "a FAQ" rather

than "an FAQ". This is because most of the time I say "a fack"

instead of "an F-A-Q".

Feel free to use whichever pronunciation you prefer and don't let

anyone bully you. Both ways are acceptable. If you use the third

way... well, you're on your own.

1.3) What do FAQs contain?

FAQs are compilations of information which are [usually] the result

of certain questions constantly being asked -

hence the name FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

A frequently asked question can be a stupid

question if the answer is posted right in front of your face in one

or more FAQs.

Sometimes a FAQ or periodic posting is compiled as a result of

extensive research on a specific subject. A convenient way to share

the information with others is by posting the article. In this case,

the article might not really be a FAQ - that is, it isn't necessarily

based on frequently asked questions. However, the term FAQ is

sometimes used as a catch all term for articles, periodic postings,

compilations, etc.

1.4) What was the first FAQ?

FAQs on the Internet

--------------------

Eugene Miya is usually credited with being the author of the first

FAQ. Although, in his words, "I didn't do the very first FAQ, but I

probably did the first one of an informational nature." His article

might possibly be the first one that was called a FAQ. Eugene points

out that Mark Horton kept an "18 question" periodic post. This was

posted to "general", which was later called news.announce.*. It had

answers to questions such as "What does 'foobar' mean?" and "What

does 'unix' stand for?"

In 1982, while acting as an official NASA presence on the gatewayed

ARPAnet mailing list SPACE[-Digest]/net.space news groups, he tired

of seeing "dumb answers" to recurring questions. The situation as

Eugene saw it was that the answers to these questions were are often

poorly thought out, inconsistent, and uninformed. Furthermore, the

posters of the questions often weren't trying to find the answers

from books, magazines, or other references. They also weren't paying

attention to previous answers to these same questions. Rather, they

were just taking the easy way out - email the question and wait for

the answer.

Eugene therefore decided to start a series of monthly posts in 1983

to rectify this sorry state of affairs. The mechanism of periodic

postings was also a way to provide information to those who didn't

have access to the archives.

The first posts included the addresses of NASA Centers, some basic

references, etc. He also had a yearly posting trying to attract

summer hires for the various NASA centers. All of these are still

being posted, albeit by someone else now.

Interesting historical note (at least I think so)

-------------------------------------------------

While going through some junk (and I have lots of that) I ran across

an old Mura, 300 baud, manual modem. Interestingly enough, a one page

FAQ dated Dec. 1980 was included with the Owner's Manual. Entitled

"Frequently Asked Questions about Public Utilities Charges for Your

Muraphone" this FAQ discussed the various charges that the customer

might incur from the phone and electric companies as a result of

using a Muraphone (Mura's cordless phone). The issues were equally

applicable for the use of a modem.

Although not an Internet FAQ, Mura's small insert is of interest due

to the use of the name "Frequently Asked Questions" way back in 1980.

1.5) So what IS a FAQ?

From their humble beginnings as a way to prevent stupid questions

from being asked on the newsgroups (yeah, I'm sure this really

helped!), FAQs have become a form of contemporary literature - an art

form spawned from the Internet. Today you'll find FAQs popping up

just about anywhere - that is, anywhere there are frequently asked

questions, and frequently answered answers. Anyone can write a FAQ,

many people read them, and everyone benefits. Can't beat that with a

stick.

2) WRITING A FAQ

2.1) Who may write/compile a FAQ?

Anyone - no rule exists about who may or may not compile/write a FAQ.

If there is a need for the information contained, your FAQ will be

appreciated.

2.2) Why write a FAQ?

The Internet (and USENET) is frequently referred to as the

Information SuperHighway. You can argue the merits of this analogy,

but you can't deny that there's lots of stuff out there. The big

problem is finding it - and I mean BIG PROBLEM. It might be more

accurate to refer to the Internet as "the large, multi-storied,

over-crowded, Information Parking Lot." And the attendant is away!

One thing that I've discovered in the short time that I've been on

the Internet, is the willingness of those who frequent USENET to help

others find their way around this great big wonderful mess. A FAQ is

a good way to help lots of good folks at the same time. The first

FAQ that I wrote was as a result of my search for information on

Intel 8051 microcontrollers. I couldn't find anything for a long

time. I used Archie, Gopher, and lots of other methods that I either

read about or that friends recommended. In addition, I scanned the

appropriate newsgroups. However, all that I could find were the same

questions that I was asking. I nearly came to the conclusion that

the Internet was a waste of time.

After compiling a few facts, I put them together in a small article

(under 5K) and posted it to a few USENET newsgroups that seemed to

have a reasonable connection to the subject matter. In a short time

I was inundated with Email. Readers of my FAQ from all over the

world sent additions and corrections for the FAQ, requests to post to

other newsgroups, kind words of appreciation, offers of free software

and literature, and even a job offer. Today the FAQ is over 100K in

size and two other FAQs were born from the leftovers from this first

FAQ.

As a result of this modest effort, I have learned a lot. I have more

than enough information about the 8051 microcontroller, I learned my

way around the Internet, and I have made connections with a number of

really nice people. Even more, my FAQ had a snowballing affect.

Several other people are now either maintaining or starting FAQs on

other microcontrollers. In a short time, if a newcomer to the

Internet is looking for information on microcontrollers, a pile of

information will be immediately available, without the need for

months of searching. Hopefully, the same will be true about the

subject(s) that you are interested in.

2.3) What subjects are appropriate?

Just about anything. If you see the same questions always popping up

in your favorite newsgroups, a FAQ might be needed. First, look in

the USENET archives and ask in the appropriate newsgroups if such a

FAQ exists. If there is no FAQ, and you know the answers (or at

least a good number of them), do yourself and everyone else a favor.

Compile the questions and answers together in an article, and post it

regularly to the newsgroup.

Just as important, make sure that your FAQ is made available to the

right audience. This means carefully choosing which newsgroups to

post it to. Often, requests from other newsgroups will inform you

that others are also interested in your FAQ.

2.4) How important is accuracy?

If you are maintaining a listing of all of the Gilligan's Island

episodes (yeah, there is such a FAQ, and it's great!), the chances of

causing serious damage to someone are pretty slim.

However, as a purely hypothetical example:

- if you are maintaining a FAQ on the Pentium processor

- you claim that the Pentium is 100% accurate and bug-free

- someone reads your FAQ, bases a project on this information, and

encounters a bug that has terrible consequences

- at the least, you will be considered vermin by your dear reader

- at the worst, you might find yourself being sued by same

Some FAQs are in the business of sharing information about different

products. This can be a bit touchy when trying to convey quality or

usability. Care should be taken when relying on opinions (even, or

especially, your own) or hearsay. Try to check out the details the

best that you can. You might consider stating if an item is opinion

or fact (whatever that is). Be open for suggestions. The inclusion

of a disclaimer might be called for, although it really shouldn't be

necessary (see section 4.2).

2.5) What is the required format and style for a FAQ?

No format is required. You are free to be as creative as you wish.

Keep in mind however, that the FAQ should be readable. Don't just

cobble together a document that has no organization or flow.

One common practice is to organize the FAQ as questions and answers,

much like this article itself. This fits in well with the name

Frequently Asked/Answered Questions. In other cases, it may make

more sense to organize your FAQ as a reference. That is, lots of

answers without the questions being stated (asked) specifically.

Some FAQs can use both of these techniques in the same document. One

part of the article can be in question/answer format, while the rest

can be a reference.

It is highly recommended that you establish a consistent and easy to

read format. For this document I chose to use a hierarchical

numbering system, but you may prefer another method (e.g. Roman

numeral, Capital letter, number, small letter). Indenting the text

also makes it easier to read the document (Ask just about any

graphics artist, and they will tell you that white space is

important). If you prefer a particular formatting technique, by all

means use it. Just please keep in mind that everyone will get more

out of your efforts if the result can be easily read.

Grammar and spelling are also important. Poor grammar can cause

ambiguities and make it difficult for the reader to understand what

you're trying to say. Spelling mistakes are distracting, and can

also create confusion. Although it isn't necessary to work towards a

doctorate in English literature, take a few moments to review your

work and clean it up.

[kev dood]

man you must be bored or sad :winky:

That has to be the longest post on here ever!!

[Zee007]

man you must be bored or sad :winky:

That has to be the longest post on here ever!!

I only posted as requested by DJ........

And the longest post(s) have been by Mat (supracharged)............

[kev dood]

:winky:

Game on then eh?

[djanderso]

Thanks Zee, but I think I fell somewhere near the top! :D :P :)

[Zee007]

Thanks Zee, but I think I fell somewhere near the top! :D :P :)

No problemo mate......... consider it a present for reaching 500 posts........ :D

[simonskippy]

If you look in the discount section in Gold you will find a specialist cleaning company offereing discounts on interior, exterior, metal & leather and cloths etc.

[Parthiban]

does anyone know how to clean the satnav screen, even a leather seems to leave streaks on it

[amolkarnik]

use a VDU cleaner. you can buy one at pcworld for a couple of quid. its a extremely mild alcohol/detergent cleaner. spray on and wipe down with a tissue. i use it at home on my TFT screen, my palmtop etc. no damage done in 2 years.

[Hawk Man]

I use glasses cleaner with a glasses cleaning cloth and get a perfect result on the SAT NAV screen

[Unregistered_User1]

My wife's dad is always cleaning, polishing, and waxing his bloody car. His opinion is far better than my opinion so I phoned him and asked what he does.

Dash

Rubs down the dash with warm soapy water to remove marks.

Use the Dyson to pick up any loose hairs / dust / remnants left over from the cloth.

Applies "Back To Black" direct onto a cloth and rubs onto the dash for a very, very nice finish.

Inside

Uses a household window cleaner to clean the inside of the windows.

Uses a normal damp cloth to clean the non-fabric parts.

Uses the Dyson to clean the fabric.

Outside

Uses a product which he buys from Halfords (sorry, don't know which one) instead of using warm soapy water. Apparently using a household product (like fairy liquid for instance) is bad for your car wax!

He uses a chamois (from Halfords) after washing the entire car which helps to remove all water marks.

He uses a waxing product bought from Halfords (sorry, don't know which one).

My wife is actually (supposed to be!) taking my Lexus over to her dads today. He's got the day off so I said he could spend it cleaning my car... he was so happy. Weird, but I didn't complain.