Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 07:08:58 -0700 (PDT) From: simon mendoza <simon_v_mendoza@yahoo.com> To: "Michael P. Sale" <mike@merchantsnet.com>, arthur <arthur@col.auracom.com> Cc: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Lists, newbies & support Message-ID: <19980623140858.25101.rocketmail@send1a.yahoomail.com>
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---arthur <arthur@col.auracom.com> wrote: > > On Mon, 22 Jun 1998, Michael P. Sale wrote: > > > > 1. Send out an email to all FreeBSD groups with this question. > > > > How many people on this list have been here for over a year and before > > installing FreeBSD themselves had never used a unix variant? This does not > > count people that simply walked into a shop that runs BSD and had to learn > > it with the help of co-workers. > > > > I'll bet that you get a minimal response. > > > .... I'm finally crawling out of the woodwork, No I'm not really new to > unix, but the only other varient I have used is quite basic compared to > what FreeBSD has to offer, oh yeah, I've been kicking around these mail > lists for about 1.5 years now. > > > If FreeBSD only wants customers that are familiar with unix, so be it. They > > are doing a fine job. It will continue to be a "techie" OS that is slow > > growing and will probably never really catch on. I am beginning to think > > that this is exactly what most of the "elders" at FreeBSD really want. They > > are probably already overworked and simply don't have a lot of time for > > truly newbie questions. > > > I'm in 100% agreement with this statement, and I also feel that a > properly run newbie-questions list would be very beneficial to the entire > FreeBSD project. It would be a good place for people new to unix to cut > their teeth and ready themselves for the overwhelming amount of mail that > comes from subscribing to -questions. > > > While technically, everyone may be right about some of the initial problems > > a newbies-questions list would cause, I firmly believe that from a business > > AND NEWBIE perspective (getting more people involved, understanding and > > staying with FreeBSD) a newbies-questions list is just a minimal first step > > in the correct direction. > > > Initially there would be problems, but if the list was setup as > experienced newbies helping newbies it just might have a chance. Also a > list of this type hopefully would cut down some of the traffic in > -questions and mellow out the atmosphere of that list also. > > > OK, I'll be quiet again. (This should keep Sue happy for a while. I think > > the last time I uttered that I disapeared for two months) :-) > > > > Till next time, > > > > Mike > > > ... snicker, do you think Sue helped get -newbies started by disappearing > for months at time ? ;) Excuse me guys, I don't tend to criticize you position, it just happens that there is nothing like an "experienced Newbie" or a "newbies perspective". What is an "experienced Newbie"?, once you have learned and know how to do something you are not "newbie" anymore. Probably you know less than an expert but certainly know more than a "newbie". Now if you want to establish levels of expertise just drop the word "newbie" and don't add adjectives to it. Use something more familiar like what they use at school: Newbie, sophmore, junior and experienced user. That should be fair, since you can catalogue things better and probably have a common ground for questioning. Now I don't see the problem if someone asks a simple question, but careful, one thing is a simple question that comes after a well documented and well reviewed operation of research and another very different (thing) is a simple question out of lazyness, just because it's easier to find someone to tell you what instead of finding it by yourself. That is why (I pressume) in this list is enphatically encouraged to all user to go first to all the sources of information (manuals, FAQs, Internet sites and so on) and once you have completed that "learning trip" than you will find that your simple question has got, if not an answer a level of expertise that I doubt a newbie can handle. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to put off anyone's idea of how things should be handle, I am just trying to make some sense out of this topic and if my opinions can help I would surely be pleased. Warm greetings to all Simon. _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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