Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 20:06:06 -0400 From: Tim Vanderhoek <vanderh@ecf.utoronto.ca> To: ML Duke <mlduke@concentric.net> Cc: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au>, freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD Newbies First Aid Kit Message-ID: <19990612200606.B70348@mad> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.01.9906112044130.2179-100000@concentric.net>; from ML Duke on Fri, Jun 11, 1999 at 08:56:51PM -0600 References: <199906120230.MAA15809@phoenix.welearn.com.au> <Pine.BSF.4.01.9906112044130.2179-100000@concentric.net>
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On Fri, Jun 11, 1999 at 08:56:51PM -0600, ML Duke wrote: > > > FreeBSD-Newbies is different. We don't ask for help or answer how-to > > questions. It is a discussion forum for newbies. > > I've been on this list, off and on, for some time. You keep saying the > above, even harping on it, it seems, no disrespect intended. Why? It's on the contract she signed about a year ago. ;-) When this list was created, most of the, um, dare I call them, Old Guard, were loudly opposed to its creation. Its purpose was far from clear to them, and its backers were never quite able to succinctly summarize its purpose in four words (or less). Nevertheless, freebsd-newbies was ultimately given life as a place where people, not just new to FreeBSD, but intimidated by the whole UNIX aura hovering inside most FreeBSD mailing-lists, could meet. However, there was a caveat: the new mailing list must not damage support structures already in place for user-help. The potential for this was deemed to be very great by Old Guard of the Support Structures. The cells behind this potential are explained semi-regularly courtesy Sue, and I expect a follow-up to your question re-listing them. :) I think, though, that one thing Sue (when I say "backers behind the creation of this mailing list", I really "Sue Blake" --- that's why her name appears here so often...it's not because of my secret plan to take over the mailing-list under her name) (Dope! I just gave away my plan again!!) ... thing Sue doesn't do as well is explain what the purpose of this mailing-list is. Deep down, I believe that's because she doesn't know, but, unfortunately, years of research into human behaviour and other such nonsense argue that there actually is some possibility she does have some legitimate purpose for this list. Think of this as "freebsd-chat", but for people who don't really belong or aren't part of the, I'll do it again, may I say, umm, UNIX club, for the everyday user who just wants to sit down at his/her computer, do some work, learn something, play, whatever, but doesn't really do UNIX, not for a living. It's freebsd-chat for the non-developer. A FreeBSD.ORG-sponsored list where users can get together and bitch about stupid developers who don't write enough documentation, or whatever. Regardless, freebsd-chat is already well-known for being the list where nothing is off-topic. Discussions have ranged from dinner at USENIX, to how-to-do what with FreeBSD, to the correct method of spanking your child. But there is always a very UNIX-hacker feel to the discussions there (even for religous conversations). This is the same list rehashed, but meant for the average person, not the nerdy type that only gets a date on nights when their net connection to freefall is too busy to get any real work done. There. Now that I have thoroughly, or, at least, in some manner after a fashion, offended all those who would normally have agreed with what I am writing, I'd like to say, ML Duke, that I think this list can only, will only, be useful if it is treated as a type of freebsd-chat for newbies. Further, I think you will agree (actually, I'm certain you will agree, but I don't want to sound cocky), that encouraging people to ask questions will take away, perhaps take away severely, from the aspect of the list that I just stated I believe _must_ be emphasized if the world is to be an okay, happy, sex-loving place. [My humour is a little subtle sometimes. This is most certainly not one of those times, but I'll point out that Sue hasn't signed any contracts with either FreeBSD Inc. or little green aliens, to the best of my knowledge.] > Please don't just say it's "policy" or something on that order. Well, that too. -- This is my .signature which gets appended to the end of my messages. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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