From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
From: Carsten Dominik <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>
Subject: A shorter manual
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:46:30 +0200
Message-ID: <096F60B3-65ED-464E-8CDC-1041CA69B706@gmail.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v936)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Return-path: <emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org>
Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43)
	id 1O79TK-0002bP-R9
	for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:46:46 -0400
Received: from [140.186.70.92] (port=56406 helo=eggs.gnu.org)
	by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1O79TF-0002ZH-Dw
	for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:46:46 -0400
Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.69)
	(envelope-from <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>) id 1O79T8-0003Kz-5a
	for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:46:41 -0400
Received: from mail-ew0-f214.google.com ([209.85.219.214]:50311)
	by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69)
	(envelope-from <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>) id 1O79T7-0003Kk-J6
	for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:46:33 -0400
Received: by ewy6 with SMTP id 6so5537442ewy.32
	for <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>; Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:46:32 -0700 (PDT)
List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." <emacs-orgmode.gnu.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode>,
	<mailto:emacs-orgmode-request@gnu.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.gnu.org/pipermail/emacs-orgmode>
List-Post: <mailto:emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>
List-Help: <mailto:emacs-orgmode-request@gnu.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode>,
	<mailto:emacs-orgmode-request@gnu.org?subject=subscribe>
Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
To: emacs org-mode mailing list <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>

Dear all,

with the Org-mode manual moving toward 200 pages,  I am
starting to worry that people with stop in their tracks
when considering Org-mode, just because of the sheer size
of the manual.

So I did a little experiment.  I took the manual and stripped
everything which could be considered advanced material, but
keeping all features and all basic commands and customizations.

What remains are about 50 pages.  A document with the same
structure (even the same chapter numbers) as the manual.
I am wondering if it would be useful to have this as a beginners
document - or if the existence of this document would lead
to more confusion than relief.

     http://orgmode.org/orgguide.pdf

I don't see this a an alternative for the manual - just
as an additional, rather static document, with little need for
updates.  The manual would continue to be the comprehensive
and constantly updated document.

Comments are welcome.

- Carsten