FAQ's

[Simon J. Branford]

Hello all;

Penny wrote: "I'm just using the egroups search feature, which is working
reasonably well.  It is hard to figure out how to search out the relevant
messages most efficiently.  I found with Hermione that I must just go
through all thousands of them in order to figure out what is relevant for
the character sketch.  Couldn't think of any other way to search it out.  I
can usually write it off as irrelevant or not in less than 10 seconds so . .
."

I have found it easier to just read every message. I find it annoying to try
and use the search feature - especially on the Voldemort FAQ where his name
is commonly mis-spelt. At the moment I am going through the messages and
finding those on Harry. I then copy these into a document (very long in some
cases) and then print this and work from there.

I find it very difficult to work straight onto the computer and much prefer
to work with the 'old fashioned' pen and paper. Consequently I also find I
can work away from my computer - which is useful as I get terrible migraines
if I am in front of the screen for too long!

Penny wrote: "So, in the spirit of updates -"
So here I go:

Weasley family - FAQ covers up to message 3500 on E-groups
Wands - FAQ covers up to message 3500 on E-groups
Animal Chars - FAQ covers up to message 3500 on E-groups

Dursley family - Have notes ready to be typed up to message 3500 on E-groups
Voldemort - Have notes ready to be typed up to message 3500 on E-groups

The above 5 have little else to be done to them after I have typed up the
notes. I will then make them up to date, which should not take too long.


Predictions for books 5, 6 & 7 - I am finding this very hard. It is done up
to message 3500 on E-groups but I am unsure what should and should not be
included.


Harry - started going through the messages a week ago - 40% of the way
through. On current rate of progress I hope to have finished going through
the messages in the next two weeks. Heading for a before Christmas finish on
the FAQ.


As I am not doing the character summaries for any of the characters I am
doing FAQ's on I cannot really justify the time for going through the books
and basing some of the FAQ on information in them (unless I can have about
another 6 months of time to work on them). I intend to use the messages as a
framework and only refer to the book in instances when the books answer the
question / debate raised.


The major problem I have at the moment is that either I will have no
computer access, or will be back to paying large sums of money for my access
from 2nd December (end of term). I have yet to hear back from my
accommodation people as to whether I can stay up for some of the vacation or
not (I have quite a few reasons for wishing to stay in Oxford for a bit
longer - academic work being a major one) - if I am able to stay for some of
the vacation then I will have plenty of opportunity to finish them at the
beginning of December. If not then I will upload what I have done before I
go home and then finish off in January.


Simon