Talk:How-to

message: I've recently discovered WikiBooks and just today discovered this page. No apparent mention on this page of where one draws the line between a WikiBooks instruction manual and a WP one. Experts in either, please comment. Robin Patterson 22:13, 30 May 2004 (UTC)
replies: text: Yeah, probably. A lot of the article seems like a remnant from the past. --Jonik 20:40, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Relationship to WikiBooks? 

message: Although the origin is not likely easy to prove, the linix origin seems easy to *disprove*. For example, the book (A Handbook of Weaves  By Gustaf Hermann Oelsner, Samuel S. Dale Published 1952 Courier Dover Publications Crafts / Hobbies ) contains How To guides, and the publication date predates the existence of linux. Unless someone has an alternate interpretation or meaning, this linux reference should be deleted (now pending removal) dr.ef.tymac 17:32, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: In the Linux community it is spelled HOWTO, a single word, no camel caps and often in all caps. The recommended (though not required) format is laid out in the HOWTO-template for big HOWTOs and in the automated JavaScript driven The Linux Documentation Project HOWTO Generator. So while the Linux community through the Linux Documentation Project perhaps did not create the How To it did create the HOWTO and contuinues to do so after more than 10 years of activity. One could perhaps have two articles, one for How To and one for HOWTO though I believe it would confuse more than it would clarify. You might want to clarify the distinction in the article. --20:16, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Simply removing all references to Linux, and perhaps even the internet, would not harm this article in the least. Huw Powell (talk) 19:51, 6 February 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: HOWTO files are a fairly widespread resource in computing and have a noticeably different character to a more traditional 'how-to' generally aimed at a novice audience, instead filling a niche between a lay tutorial and specialist documentation. Forcing the unspaced term often improves the quality of search results due to its prevalence on technical forums and wikis and absence elsewhere. The deletion of a space makes it simpler to access the file from a system without a GUI, a distinct advantage for computer documentation. The capitalisation also serves a findability purpose in that many programs (notably command line utilities and web browsers) sort lists "ASCIIbetically", where HOWTO will place above Howto, howto, and even aowto, thus ensuring that important documentation will be near the top of the list. Both the lack of a space and the use of capitalisation are seen, for similar reasons, in the naming of the README file. It seems pertinent to note here that the similarly informal README file receives its own wiki page, rather than being a footnote in (say) User guide or ignored completely. While HOWTOs are certainly less common than READMEs they are far from rare, are distinct from general how-tos, and at least warrant a mention here. --82.2.54.98 (talk) 22:41, 17 March 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  linux cmty originated HowTo 

message: I'd suggest http://www.wonderhowto.com for inclusion in the external links. It was recently launched & reviewed by the New York Times, BoingBoing, Mashable, etc. It's the largest free how-to video guide for searching and browsing how to videos from all across the web (all major how-to sites seem to be in their index). Apparently it's Funded by General Catalyst Partners (though no one seems to know how much). I'd second the instructables.com suggestion too...
Jonathan Hatch here. My website: http://www.getridofthings.com is getting big and somewhat popular. Would you consider linking to it from this article? If so, thank you.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.245.38.196 (talk) 23:57, 25 November 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: It looks like someone nuked the whole external links section.  As an active wikiHow editor, I'd like to add wikiHow back at least. wikiHow is a wiki with a decently large community and has been featured in NY Times and BBC.  Other good how-to sites include Instructables (another good user generated how-to site), VideoJug (all videos), ViewDo (smaller video site) and even YouTube (has a large how-to section).  There are others that should be included too.  Thoughts? -- LighthouseSpider (talk) 04:41, 28 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: External link suggestions

message: This article is quite short. I'll give it a try to improve it... In case I should discuss it first: here is my attempt. Meursevent 16:28, 27 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Short

message: I have removed a number of edits concerning specific online websites because they were all sourced to their own websites, which don't meet WP:RS guidelines. Are there sources that provide sound reviews of these kinds of sites or ongoing reporting of the history and developments in this area? Flowanda | Talk 02:00, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I suggest the list of websites should be limited to internal links to already existing articles. Flowanda | Talk 02:23, 4 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edits about specific online content sites 

message: I engaged in a bit of both, attempting to bring the content of the article closer to the topic at hand, without throwing out any of the 'net and Linux related material.  I even resisted the urge to refer to How to Steal a Million! Huw Powell (talk) 02:37, 7 February 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Clean up and broadening 

message: 1.As of 2009 A Google search for "How To" results in a comprehensive list of HowTo sites. It seems this has changed throughout the years. In the 1990's and early years of 2000, it was common for search engines to ignore these words, and even to notify the user that these words are too common for giving a comprehensive result. Currently, the Google features web page says: Google ignores common words and characters such as where, the, how, and other digits and letters that slow down your search without improving the results. If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can make sure we pay attention to it by putting a "+" sign in front of it."
2.^ . A search on Google for "howto faq" or for "faq howto" results in FAQs with HowToDo instructions in them, but never to a single HowTo page. This is probably due to the fact that FAQ pages are usually broader in scope, and therefore more commonly used.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.195.69.24 (talk) 23:11, 2 May 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: Does anyone else die a little bit when they see 'how to (something)?' It's that ? at the end that gets my goat. Grr  89.100.48.115 (talk) 15:37, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  How To Meaning 

message: These things are GREAT! I totally agree. Everyone should know how to do these things and so much more. Marc is so right. The list could grow because there are so many basic life skills to learn. There should be a class for this in our public schools. From first grade all the way through to graduation where our kids are taught age appropriate life skills so when they go into the world they are prepared. I would expand on number 8 though. Women sometimes can’t win or avoid a fight, especially if they are being attacked so learning how to purchase and use some sort of self defense product would be helpful. A lot of women don’t even know products like this are available to the average citizen. Good article. I especially appreciate the way you not only gave us the life skill but links to where it is taught. Great job!
http://how2todo.blogspot.com  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.195.69.24 (talk) 21:44, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  How To Do Any And Everything 

message: I noticed that the article lists Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People as a good example of How-to writing, which of course it is.  However, the "For Dummies" and "101" series books were also cited as examples of the How-to genre, but many of the Dummies and 101 books do not instruct a person on how to do anything, they are merely "academic", giving an introductory survey or overview of a topic, such as philosophy or history.  It doesn't seem to me that those would be examples of how-tos.  Maybe it should be rewritten to say that MANY of the "For Dummies" and "101" series books are How-tos, rather than implying that, as a rule, For Dummies and 101 books are how-tos.  I went ahead and made the change, but please feel free to change it back/comment if I was in error.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.71.53.140 (talk) 17:59, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Dummies and 101 books listed as examples of How-to's 

message: Should HOWTO article be merged into this article?
*Support.  That article is short, and would fit easily into this one.Anythingyouwant (talk) 07:45, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
thread_title: Merge