Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 21:01:05 +1100 From: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> To: allen campbell <allenc@verinet.com> Cc: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: newbies mailing list Message-ID: <19980301210105.08383@welearn.com.au> In-Reply-To: <199803010927.CAA04411@const.>; from allen campbell on Sun, Mar 01, 1998 at 02:27:14AM -0700 References: <199803010927.CAA04411@const.>
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On Sun, Mar 01, 1998 at 02:27:14AM -0700, allen campbell wrote:
>
> > Real Hackers never get defensive.
>
> This needs to be in a FAQ somewhere (if it isn't already.) Maybe
> even an RFC.
>
> Newbie: How am I to deal with condescending and offensive
> responses to my questions?
Your humour is appreciated, but I wouldn't want to see a newbies list appear
to be a reaction to bad treatment in -questions. All mailing lists have
members who treat people badly. It'll probably happen more among newbies
because at least the others do know better. A new list should be an
enhancement, not an act of protest. If it is presented as one of a group of
FreeBSD mailing lists, then I doubt anyone could see it as a reaction or try
to use it in that way.
> > It's worth a try. Tell people that they can post to either list, but
> > they'll get more sympathetic treatment from auntie than they will on
> > -questions.
>
> For participants in -questions, there are expectations that a newbie
> may not be ready for. Using their mailer properly, or actually
> reading the basic documentation for starters.
And it would become easier to jump on your offeders.
But hang on, I don't care about them and their problems, do I :-)
> Perhaps a -newbies list would provide a kinder, gentler place for a
> thoughtful newbie to start. At least when some hot head jumps all over an
> amateur in -newbies, they do so knowing they are in the wrong.
Hell hath no fury like a newbies' scorn.
> > What do you others think?
>
> I think you and Sue are trying to solve different problems. Sue
> wants a place where the poster has the right to not feel intimidated
> while posting thoughtful questions. You want users to read the
> docs, follow the conventions and ask worthwhile questions.
I'm tossing around various ideas, without too strong attachment to any of
them. Greg might be doing the same thing. It's confusing, but it leaves
nothing hidden. I think we've pretty much agreed that a question doesn't
exist until it's properly presented, and then it belongs on -questions.
Newbies can and will do whatever they feel like, including but not
exclusively clarifying questions which aren't yet ready for -quesitons.
Some of us might even attempt to translate some of the answers :-)
> I think -newbies will have a very bad signal to noise ratio, but
> the noise in newbies will be noise that didn't end up somewhere
> else.
I think it will have a wonderful signal to noise ratio! I think it'll be all
noise, and a joyful noise at that, by normal standards of signal and noise.
So long as communication does happen and the environment feels positive, it
will achieve most of what many people want.
--
Regards,
-*Sue*-
find / -name "*.conf" |more
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