Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 07:18:10 +1100 From: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> To: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Technical/support questions on -newbies Message-ID: <20031120071810.B749@welearn.com.au> In-Reply-To: <Sea1-F155pOIoc9VRg100012515@hotmail.com>; from crollins666@hotmail.com on Wed, Nov 19, 2003 at 07:08:43PM %2B0000 References: <Sea1-F155pOIoc9VRg100012515@hotmail.com>
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On Wed, Nov 19, 2003 at 07:08:43PM +0000, clayton rollins wrote:
> Hi list,
>
> As I'm sure we've all noticed, a lot of questions get asked here
> that should be re-written, sent to -questions, and/or sent to
> -hackers.
Oops, not to -hackers, just to -questions :-)
FreeBSD-questions offers support for everybody, without exception,
but -hackers is a collaboration space for FreeBSD develpers.
They wouldn't like newbies straying over there for help.
> As pointed out in tha FAK, I believe there are monitors around
> who's responsibility it is to re-direct these misguided mails.
Those "monitors" are the culturally advanced newbies, such as
yourself. As a non-newbie, I don't really belong here, just as I
don't belong in the -hackers community except as an observer. One
of the most important roles of freebsd-newbies is to help people
get in the swing of how our community works. In FreeBSD mailing
lists, everyone is responsible for supporting the list charter,
and whatever else the list is there to do. It's a community, not a
service.
One thing that's worse than asking help questions here is putting
answers here! Do help out with advice on how to be a good community
member or how to use the mailing lists or where to find
self-help docco, but no FreeBSD support answers.
There are a few reasons why it is important that answers
NOT be sent to -newbies.
Apart from being against the charter, it's also good to
let -questions be the only archive to search for past answers.
Also answers here just encourage more Q&A.
Also if you know enough to answer, you should know better,
and if you don't, you don't!
Also -questions community checks answers, but here they
are not checked, which is very bad for newbies confusion.
Newbies need the best answers. If you don't want the
people on -questions to see your answer, it is cruel to
throw it at a newbie and other newbie onlookers.
By all means, take it upon yourselves to help resolve this.
We like to have everyone pitch in, that way there's no bosses and
everyone belongs. Besides, I'm not around much these days,
and -newbies was never meant to be where you're told what to do,
beyond meeting the list charter. If newbies is not run by and
for the community of newbies, it has failed.
When a help question appears in -newbies I like to simply send my
reply to -questions with a cc to the asker. They will then
get a cc on any followup. Sending an extra copy to -newbies
would be bad, it would encourage even more confusing
discussion on -newbies, so don't do that. Remember to change
the To:/Cc: header. Then if you see an unsanswered help request,
maybe someone answered it elsewhere. You can check -questions.
As we do for trolls, everyone needs to learn to silently ignore
inappropriately posted questions. The whole group must do this
to make it work.
If an answer is not up to the srutiny of those on -questions, we
certainly don't want that answer to be given to a newbie, at
least not without peer review (like it gets in -questions). Most
people genuinely want to help others, but some take it too far.
We can't tolerate anyone playing "big fish" wannabee support guru in
our pond. Some people will try that on, and it must be stopped. This
is not a vehicle for showing the world how much you think you know,
at newbies' expense! But it's quite OK to give your advice on -questions
where your gems will be seen by thousands of adoring fans, and by
helpful more experienced supporters. They always need more
support helpers on -questions, and every newbie has something to
offer. They will help you to become a better helper.
Please, everyone pitch in to make -newbies work as it should.
If it doesn't work out, we could lose this list one day.
Remember who you're talking to, the really new people are very
vulnerable and don't yet understand how we do things. Mistakes are
easier to tolerate in -newbies than elsewhere. It's up to you all
to tell them gently so they don't get a firmer reminder elsewhere,
to show that we understand and to make them realise how much we
like having them around.
This is the first lesson in becoming a FreeBSD community member.
It is yours to share, every one of you. Please do so.
--
Regards,
-*Sue*-
Newbies List Aunty
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