The code is pretty readable. And there's a freaking 250-page User’s Guide linked from the documentation. I really think they deserve a little more than some snarky dismissal. There aren't very many open source projects with that level of documentation.
It's not Sim City, but then again maybe they didn't set out to create something that provides insights to people who first came across their field of study five minutes earlier.
If you don't do user-friendly documentation, your project is that much more likely to die for lack of interest.
then again maybe they didn't set out to create something that provides insights to people who first came across their field of study five minutes earlier
The whole point of simulators is to learn things by experiment. If a tool isn't accessible and doesn't come with examples, it's unlikely to see much further use or development.
Are you referring to the 250 pages of reference docs? I didn't see a 'Getting Started' or 'Examples' or 'Guide' or 'Tutorial' section, and I stand by my assessment of their attitude to newcomers.
> maybe they didn't set out to create something that provides insights to people who first came across their field of study five minutes earlier
I wish people would stop submitting those kinds of links to HN. Also: I have an axe to grind (about terrible unapproachable documentation, academic or corporate or hobbyist).
I wish people would stop submitting those kinds of links to HN.
Why would you want that?
Surely the point of HN is to read about things on the bleeding edge of what is possible. Sometimes that blood comes from being too ambitious and sometimes from missing docs. Either way, it seems a small price to pay.
It's not Sim City, but then again maybe they didn't set out to create something that provides insights to people who first came across their field of study five minutes earlier.