Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 10:09:30 +0930 From: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> To: Doug <Doug@gorean.org> Cc: Marty Poulin <mpoulin@honk.org>, freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: /dev entries for NIC's Message-ID: <19990919100929.R55065@freebie.lemis.com> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.10.9909171643510.38183-100000@dt014nb6.san.rr.com>; from Doug on Fri, Sep 17, 1999 at 04:52:50PM -0700 References: <Pine.LNX.3.96.990917163352.9308A-100000@spectre> <Pine.BSF.4.10.9909171643510.38183-100000@dt014nb6.san.rr.com>
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On Friday, 17 September 1999 at 16:52:50 -0700, Doug wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Sep 1999, Marty Poulin wrote:
>
>>
>> On Fri, 17 Sep 1999, Doug wrote:
>>
>>> In a previous post I mentioned that the lack of a device entry in
>>> /dev for an ethernet card might be a symptom of trouble. Someone was kind
>>> enough to mention to me off list that not only is it not a sign of
>>> trouble, but NIC's (Network Interface Cards) never have /dev entries. :)
>>> My apologies for any confusion caused.
>>
>> If I can add $0.02 - this is precisely why the charter for this list
>> doesn't want people to ask questions here.
>
> No, it isn't actually. The "reasons" for not wanting people to ask
> questions here revolve entirely around other issues.
The reason the charter doesn't want people to ask questions here is
because we already have a mailing list for questions. There are
several reasons to want to keep questions in -questions:
1. More people see the results. This helps the lurkers who don't
want to ask questions, but want to learn from the replies to
others.
2. As you point out, there is more peer review. Although it happens
that answers on -questions are wrong, they're less likely to stay
that way than on -newbies.
3. There are also people on -questions, like myself, who answer
questions there but read -newbies only now and again.
I'm sure you've been told that before; it would be nice if you'd play
the game.
>> I can understand wanting to help, but the best way to help someone in a
>> situation like this is to point them to -questions where they can expect a
>> more experienced level of support.
>
> A) I'm hardly what you'd call a new user.
You're new enough to send out a wrong answer to the wrong group.
> B) My original post DID tell the user to direct his questions to
> -questions.
Fine, but it should have left it at that.
> C) What I said in my post was that the absence of the /dev entry
> *may* represent a problem, but that he should really follow up on
> that in -questions because I was not familiar enough with the issue
> to give him a confident answer. My purpose in providing a
> clarification was to help make sure that no one was misled by my
> misplaced apprehensions.
Your intention may have been to provide a clarification, but in fact
it confused matters.
> Lately this list has been turning into one pissing contest
> after another, and the whole tone of it is entirely inappropriate.
Judging by this message, I'd say you're obviously a contributor. If
you're concerned about the list becoming a pissing match, don't join
in.
> The purpose of this list is to provide support and encouragement to
> new users, not to give people a chance to pound one another over the
> head with their whopping months of experience.
Well, it's for encouragement, anyway. "Support" can mean different
things, and at least one aspect is the province of -questions.
> My suggestion is that if you can't find better things to do with
> your time than to publicly criticize people who actually are
> helping, simply refrain from posting till you can.
Good idea! I didn't see anything objectionable in Marty's message,
but I had my doubts about yours. How about doing it?
Greg
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