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Date:      Sun, 28 Feb 1999 11:08:21 +1100
From:      Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au>
To:        D Pilgrim <dpilgrim@uswest.net>
Cc:        rjyoung@cgocable.net, freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Subscribing to -questions [was: Download and installation]
Message-ID:  <19990228110821.60308@welearn.com.au>
In-Reply-To: <36D8612B.DC5AF510@uswest.net>; from D Pilgrim on Sat, Feb 27, 1999 at 01:18:35PM -0800
References:  <000001be6285$abc15860$05ffa8c0@maxximus.cgocable.net> <36D8612B.DC5AF510@uswest.net>

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On Sat, Feb 27, 1999 at 01:18:35PM -0800, D Pilgrim wrote:
> 
> You don't have to subscribe to freebsd-questions to send a question,
> just make sure to request an e-mailed reply.
> 
> (Did I get it right Sue?)

Thank you, very well said :-) But it's probably time to clarify the two
sides of the subscribe or not question.

Generally all newbies should be subscribed to freebsd-questions.
There'll be a lot of mail that you don't understand, but in between
you'll pick up an awful lot of useful info, and save yourself from
falling into traps or being the first to ask a question that feels
dumb.

Participating in freebsd-questions helps the community in three ways:
1 There are enough experts there that any imperfect answers are corrected
  pretty quickly so we keep our standards high.
2 All questions, answers and discussions from freebsd-questions go into
  the searchable archive on the web site, which has saved many a neck and
  helped people to solve their problems without letting on they'd goofed.
3 And third, it really helps the community to see newbies taking part
  with the mainstream. Some of them are just getting to know what these
  silent newbie types are like and we can help them adjust by getting in
  there and showing that we're alive and thinking for ourselves.
  I'm sure you'd like to see other newbies there, and might even be
  able to offer assistance. I know a lot of you already contribute in
  other ways too, through -advocacy and -doc for example.

So yeah, it's expected that every newbie should subscribe to
freebsd-questions and occasionally someone will heavy you to subscribe
for your own good. But there are some people who genuinely can't. A
person's first question might arise before they've had a chance.
Internet access is not so easy in all countries, some people only
getting a few minutes twice a week over a 2400 baud modem. Also blind
people and others using special equipment would have serious trouble
with the volume.

We don't need to know the details, just as long as those who can
subscribe do so, and the others check the archive first to make sure
their question hasn't been asked five times in the last week.

It is normal practice on all freebsd lists to do group replies, i.e.,
to reply to the sender and the list. If you're not subscribed it
doesn't hurt to politely request an emailed reply just in case the
person with the best answer doesn't conform to this practice. If you
need to respond to one of these personally copied answers, be sure to
send it to the list, not just to the individual who answered you.
And if you ever get any flack about your email style, or anything else,
come back here and we'll sort it out.


BTW, to those new to these mailing lists, notice how I've changed the
subject line because the subject changed, and retained a trace of the
former subject to help keep track of message threads. You'll see this
done in the -advocacy and -chat lists where conversations can go on
cycling through topics for ages, though more often people forget to
make the change.

You might also notice that I've quoted only that part of the message
that I was responding to, and used the chatty list name abbreviations
like "-questions" for "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" and so on. And as
usual I've prattled on far too long :-)

-- 

Regards,
        -*Sue*-



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