Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 09:03:34 -0500 (CDT) From: "M. L. Dodson" <bdodson@beowulf.utmb.edu> To: "Young" <young@richardson.apana.org.au> Cc: "Damien Tougas" <dtougas@converging.net>, <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: adopt a newbie program Message-ID: <199908271403.JAA20615@beowulf.utmb.edu> In-Reply-To: <00a001bef00d$76fbb100$857e03cb@jdy> References: <00a001bef00d$76fbb100$857e03cb@jdy>
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Young writes: > > Another thought .... from my recent experience trying to sort out a > few weird PPP problems, the completely differing responses > can be confusing .... the "adopt a newbie" concept would help > to minimize this stuff if every newbie had a sorta mentor who > was respnsible for sourcing answers, but is it likely that many > experts could spare the time that may be needed to fulfil this role ?? > IMO, no. There is a big commitment difference between popping off a quick answer to a question for which you happen to know the answer, and leaving yourself open to being bugged continually by someone for a couple of weeks. In the best of all worlds, this should not make a difference, maybe, but this is not the best of all worlds. Speaking as someone who occasionally posts answers here, I would not want to participate in such a program. I'm sorry, but I just do not have the time. And there is another issue which I believe (speaking only for myself) is hiding just below the surface if people would admit it: a lot of the people with the answers do not think people put in enough work trying to help themselves before posting here for quick and easy answers. If you are a little bit past being a newbie, lurk for a few weeks, be objective, and I believe you will come to agree with me. So, speaking only for myself, I don't mind helping people if (1) I know the exact answer off the top of my head, or (2) I can see people have done their homework and still have a nontrivial problem, and I have some insight as to a productive line of research which will solve that problem. Being a mentor for a newbie who wants to take a short cut up the learning curve does not fit in either of those categories. To put it another way, I don't mind being an educator (which I am by profession), in fact I enjoy it, or I would not be subscribed to this list, but I do mind being a questions "punching bag". Flames to /dev/null. > It would be really nice if it were possible .....will have to wait to see > what, if any, responses come on the subject from experts reading > this thread I guess > > > -- M. L. Dodson bdodson@scms.utmb.edu 409-772-2178 FAX: 409-772-1790 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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