How useful are README's in CTSM?

[ekluzek]

We have quite a few README files scattered through the CTSM checkout. The main idea with them is to give you something inside your checkout that gives you some simple instructions or directions on what to do and what to look for within the checkout.

We are evaluating how useful they are. So we'd like to know if people use them, or did at least use them when they were new to CTSM. And if there's a preference to use the README files or the User's Guide as a preference to learn how to use CTSM.

Here's a list of the main ones:

• README*
• doc/IMPORTANT_NOTES*
• doc/Quickstart.GUIDE*
• doc/README*
• tools/mksurfdata_esmf/README*
• tools/site_and_regional/README*
• tools/contrib/README*
• tools/README*
• python/README*

[slevis-lmwg]

The READMEs that I use most are:

• doc/README.CHECKLIST.master_tags.md
• tools/mksurfdata_esmf/README.md

I didn't identify fully with any of the poll's options. I selected (a) but I would identify more with the inverse of (b), something like:
"I sometimes use READMEs and sometimes the User's Guide."
And maybe even more I would identify with the statement:
"I sometimes use READMEs, sometimes the User's Guide, sometimes the Forums, and sometimes I ask colleagues."

[slevis-lmwg]

Recently I have also used the WhatsNewIn... files.
When I make new datasets, I have found the tools/site_and_regional/README useful.
I tend to like the presence of READMEs, and I'm open to not keeping them if the information gets consolidated elsewhere.