Rick Brewster Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 The Help file in Paint.NET is accessible by going to the Help menu and clicking on the first item labelled "Help Topics": Anyway, I want to know how often anybody even reads this thing! The reason I want to know is that for the next release I am strongly considering moving the help file online. It is already available online (http://www.getpaint.net/doc/3.05 for instance), but this change would simply remove the local copy. Doing this reduces the download size from 4.5 MB down to less than 1.2 MB. This means faster downloads, faster update speed, and less bandwidth for myself and anyone mirroring the software. It also enables me to provide a "Search:" text box, as I can just use the services provided by Google or Windows Live Search to let you search the online help file. The cons are that you must be online to read the help file. My hypothesis is that most people do not use the help file, or they do not use it very much. Therefore, why force everyone to download it? So tell me what you think about all this. Quote The Paint.NET Blog: https://blog.getpaint.net/ Donations are always appreciated! https://www.getpaint.net/donate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Monkey Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Programs like this come naturally to me... I never read the help file... And I think almost nobody posting help requests here has read it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoltBait Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 The only thing I've ever looked up in the help file was how to use the Clone/Stamp tool. And, I looked it up in the online help file. Perhaps, you could have a link in the online help file that would allow a local copy to be installed? Quote Download: BoltBait's Plugin Pack | CodeLab | and a Free Computer Dominos Game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireFly Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I have never read the help file. When I needed assistance, I came straight to the forums to read all about Paint.NET and do some of the better tutorials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illnab1024 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 The only time I ever read any portion of the help file was small bits of proofreading and when it was referenced in a few posts. Quote ~~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Lionhearted Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Honestly everything I know about photo manipulation/layers/colors came from the PDN forum. This site here is a giant interactive help file in itself. But I think that having an option to download the help files separately would be a nice thing. Quote My Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helio Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Same as BoltBait. I only looked up the clone/stamp tool, other than that, I've never used it. Quote v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.  "I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?" "For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extra Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I printed every page of it to read until I knew what all the buttons did, then I didn't need it anymore. I haven't ever asked for help on this forum. The tutorials do it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrddin Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Never read it in my life, I prefer to figure things out for myself than immediately seek help and have the fun taken out of it. Quote How to Save Your Images under Different File Types My dA Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkbark00 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I read it all the time. I like to make sure that what I am telling people in the forums is based, at least lightly, on what is in the help file. I think there should be a link on the main getpaint.net page to the help file. Quote  Take responsibility for your own intelligence. 😉 -Rick Brewster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usedHONDA Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I've only used it as a reference for the Wikibook articles. Quote "The greatest thing about the Internet is that you can write anything you want and give it a false source." ~Ezra Pound twtr | dA | tmblr | yt | fb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picc84 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Uh... we have a help file? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Frojo Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 The forums are my help file Quote I'm still alive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brewster Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Well it looks pretty clear to me: I think for this month's update I'll move the help file to the website, and thus Paint.NET will be just a 1.2 MB download from now on That would fit on a floppy disk. Quote The Paint.NET Blog: https://blog.getpaint.net/ Donations are always appreciated! https://www.getpaint.net/donate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkbark00 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Nice! Quote  Take responsibility for your own intelligence. 😉 -Rick Brewster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picc84 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Well it looks pretty clear to me: I think for this month's update I'll move the help file to the website, and thus Paint.NET will be just a 1.2 MB download from now on That would fit on a floppy disk. Thats awesome! Man help files make up for allot more than the coding itself?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoltBait Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Floppy disk? Might as well have said Stone Tablet. Quote Download: BoltBait's Plugin Pack | CodeLab | and a Free Computer Dominos Game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuzzKill Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 After installing, reading the Help Topics was the first thing I did in PDN. Since then I'd say I've skimmed through them a couple of times. I'd say go for it. I like Bolt's idea and I also like the idea of giving the user the choice of installing/not installing the help file during the application setup. This could be an option in "Custom Install". If they choose to install the help topics, the installer would call back to the server for the additional download thus keeping the original file size down. Quote - DO NOT contact me asking for the .pdn of my avatar or the PDN logo. Thank you. Have a nice day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brewster Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 I like Bolt's idea and I also like the idea of giving the user the choice of installing/not installing the help file during the application setup. This could be an option in "Custom Install". If they choose to install the help topics, the installer would call back to the server for the additional download thus keeping the original file size down. Right but then the installer has to be modified to have a downloader and extra installation stuff, etc. etc. etc. Not worth it. I will put the help file online-only for now, and then depending on feedback I will decide if anything else should be done (such as providing a separate ZIP download or something). Quote The Paint.NET Blog: https://blog.getpaint.net/ Donations are always appreciated! https://www.getpaint.net/donate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usedHONDA Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Floppy disk? Might as well have said Stone Tablet. I think I have over 200 floppy disks (that's almost half of my AOL trial disks!) Here's what I did with them. Quote "The greatest thing about the Internet is that you can write anything you want and give it a false source." ~Ezra Pound twtr | dA | tmblr | yt | fb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoltBait Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Rick, I'm just not sure you're polling the right audience... Quote Download: BoltBait's Plugin Pack | CodeLab | and a Free Computer Dominos Game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helio Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Really usedHonda, I think you have a strange/semi-funny photo for every occasion... That's amazing, the size you will be able to compress it to. Do I correctly assume that when downloading the next release, the help file will be removed with the older version? Quote v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.  "I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?" "For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brewster Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Rick, I'm just not sure you're polling the right audience... *shrug* Usually when I do a poll I've made up my mind 95% of the way anyway and am just trying to make sure there isn't going to be any significant backlash. Quote The Paint.NET Blog: https://blog.getpaint.net/ Donations are always appreciated! https://www.getpaint.net/donate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoltBait Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 What did I say over IM today? ...in the end though, rick will do what ever he wants. Quote Download: BoltBait's Plugin Pack | CodeLab | and a Free Computer Dominos Game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brewster Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Multiplied over several hundred thousand downloads per month, a 3+ MB savings is significant. (If you look at http://fileforum.betanews.com/ under "Most Popular Files" on the right, Paint.NET was downloaded almost 85,000 times last week (and that's just from BetaNews).) Moving the help file online enables things like Search, and cuts down on bandwidth for everyone. The only situation I see that it hurts is offline reading of the help file. As time goes on I see that situation becoming less and less important. And like I said, if there's significant feedback to the contrary I can figure out solutions as appropriate. I've already been dangerously over my bandwidth quota for 2 months of this calendar year so far. Quote The Paint.NET Blog: https://blog.getpaint.net/ Donations are always appreciated! https://www.getpaint.net/donate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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