Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 10:17:36 +1000 From: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> To: Stumpie <stumpie@edu.gte.net> Cc: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Questions [was: What do newbies want?] Message-ID: <19980416101736.01336@welearn.com.au> In-Reply-To: <35353DA4.3A05@edu.gte.net>; from Stumpie on Wed, Apr 15, 1998 at 04:07:16PM -0700 References: <01bd68a3$3266d580$5806bccc@708644668> <35353DA4.3A05@edu.gte.net>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Wed, Apr 15, 1998 at 04:07:16PM -0700, Stumpie wrote:
> I subscribed to <freebsd-questions> from a suggestion in the book, and then came over
> here to <-newbies> when it started up. Now, from just reading the mail, I have two
> impressions.
>
> First, the <-questions> folks don't particularly wish to hear questions from rank
> beginners like me for the umteenth time.
This is something we really need to talk about. Would you mind following it
through here a bit? I'm sure some other newbies will chime in :-)
What is it, exactly, that gives you that impression? We're going to need to
pinpoint it and describe it as well as possible, but from a NEWBIES
perspective (without outside influence or argument), before anyone can start
to find some really valid solutions. This may take some time.
Are you saying that they don't want to hear beginners' questions? If so, why
do you think that is?
Are you saying that they want to hear them, but only the first time? If so,
what do you think is their reasoning, and is it valid or not?
Do you think their preference is a good thing, or a bad thing? Why?
> Nor do I want to bother them with my questions.
Could you expand on that one a little too? Is it that you don't want to ask
questions, or don't want to ask them there, or is it something about your
own questions in particular?
> Second, the <-newbies> list wants chat, not necessarily questions.
>
> So, I would suggest that newbies want, and need, is a list or a place to
> go to get the most basic questions answered. While the Lehey book is
> excellect, I'm at a "now what do I do" stage.
Agreed. Is there a problem with freebsd-questions? If so, this is about the
only place we can discuss it on our own and work out what could make it
better. Unless we take that first step, I don't see how anybody can help us.
Another thing I've been thinking about.... Some of our newbie questions are
because we don't know about FreeBSD, while others are because we don't know
about unix. It's pretty important to separate those two whenever we can (and
often we can't) because it helps a lot when we try to work out ways to make
being a newbie easier.
> BTW, so as to inconvenience as few people as possible, if someone would like to help me
> with this problem, please contact me off list.
If you're referring to the problem of asking -questions, this is the right
place for it. I think we need to discuss it at our own pace, without being
shepherded or pre-empted by people who answer questions, to work out what
all the problems are and what the causes might be. We might also need space
to let off a bit of steam, say a few things we regret and retract them
later, just to get it all out where we can look at it. I believe we will
find real solutions and enough support from others to implement them, but as
usual the hardest part is defining the problem.
If you agree, go for it.
--
Regards,
-*Sue*-
find / -name "*.conf" |more
To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?19980416101736.01336>