from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
FAQ \FAQ\ (f[a^]k), FAQ list \FAQ" list`\ (f[a^]k"l[i^]st`),
FAQlist \FAQ"list\ (f[a^]k"l[i^]st`), pr. n. [acronym from
Frequently Asked Questions.]
A list of questions and answers concerning a specific topic,
such as how to use a particular computer program. Many such
lists contain answers to the most commonly asked questions
about that topic, however the questions need not derive from
actual queries. Such lists are often maintained in electronic
form and made available on the World Wide Web. [acronym]
[PJC]
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
frequently asked question
FAQ
FAQL
FAQ list
<convention> (FAQ, or rarely FAQL, FAQ list) A document
provided for many {Usenet} {newsgroups} (and, more recently,
{World-Wide Web} services) which attempts to answer questions
which new readers often ask. These are maintained by
volunteers and posted regularly to the newsgroup. You should
always consult the FAQ list for a group before posting to it
in case your question or point is common knowledge.
The collection of all FAQ lists is one of the most precious
and remarkable resources on the {Internet}. It contains a
huge wealth of up-to-date expert knowledge on many subjects of
common interest. Accuracy of the information is greatly
assisted by its frequent exposure to criticism by an
interested, and occasionally well-informed, audience (the
readers of the relevant newsgroup).
The main {FTP archive} for FAQs is on a computer called {RTFM}
at MIT, where they can be accessed either by group
(ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/comp.answers/) or by
hierarchy (ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/).
There is another archive at Imperial College
(ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/usenet/news-info/), London, UK and a
World-Wide Web archive in Ohio
(http://cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/top.html),
USA.
The FAQs are also posted to {Usenet} newsgroups:
news:comp.answers, news:news.answers and
news:alt.answers.
(1997-12-08)