notes-misc-faqs

Interestingly, although today we think of the word 'catechism' as meaning a document about religious doctrine, another definition of 'catechism' is 'A series of fixed questions, answers, or precepts used for instruction in other situations', whether religious or not. As can be seen in this example ("Catechismus Logicus" by Increase Mather), sometimes 'catechism' is basically an old word for FAQ.

Also, in reading this example ("Catechismus Logicus" by Increase Mather), we note that much of it is a linear sequence of definitions and classifications arranged in 'depth-first search' order; for example:

" 11. Q. What are arguments that are simply in agreement? R. The arguments that are simply in agreement are cause and effect?

12. Q. What is a cause? R. A cause is the force by which a thing exists.

13. Q. What are the types of causes? R. The types are efficient cause, matter, form, and end.

14. Q. What is efficient cause? R. ...

15. Q. What are the species of efficient causes? R. ...

16. Q. What is the first mode of the efficient cause? R. ...

16. Q. What is the second mode of the efficient cause? R. ...

...

24. What is matter? R. ...

25. What is form? R. ...

26. Q. What is an end? R. ...

27. Q. What is an effect? "

Note that today's technology of hypertext would have greatly aided this sort of exposition, so that eg. a reader reading Question #11 in the above "Catechismus Logicus", and who wants just to read the definition of cause and the definition of effect before they learn all the details about the different kinds of causes could follow a hyperlink from 'cause' to #12, and then follow a hyperlink from 'effect' to #27. Even in the old days, this could have been implemented 'manually' by simply giving 'links' in the form of question numbers in subscript or superscript above each term to be linked; i don't know if anyone back then actually did that or not.