Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 21:54:05 -0700 From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@freefall.cdrom.com> To: "Jonathan M. Bresler" <jmb@kryten.atinc.com>, Gary Roberts <gary@wcs.uq.oz.au>, Jeffrey Hsu <hsu@freefall.cdrom.com>, hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Gating hackers into the newsgroups Message-ID: <13170.798785645@freefall.cdrom.com> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 24 Apr 95 21:44:10 PDT." <12851.798785050@freefall.cdrom.com>
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> :q > save > agh! >[EOF] Drat. The `.' I stuck in this message as part of my all-too-realistic example clearly terminated the outgoing mail message, too.. :-( Let me find it in my outbox here.. Ah, here's the message you were all supposed to see! :-) > To: "Jonathan M. Bresler" <jmb@kryten.atinc.com> > cc: Gary Roberts <gary@wcs.uq.oz.au>, > Jeffrey Hsu <hsu@freefall.cdrom.com>, hackers@freebsd.org > Subject: Re: Gating hackers into the newsgroups > In-reply-to: Your message of "Mon, 24 Apr 95 23:41:08 EDT." > <Pine.3.89.9504242325.H27338-0100000@kryten.atinc.com> > Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 21:44:10 -0700 > Message-ID: <12851.798785050@freefall.cdrom.com> > From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@freefall.cdrom.com> > > > great idea! we can add a couple of commands to majordomo and let > > it rip. > > The problem with this scheme is that it requires too much action on > the part of the mentor. I would much prefer to see: > > newbie% mail new-users@freebsd.org > Subject: i^Hhe^H^HHelp me, I am lost! > I've just installed FreeBSD and now it's just looking at me > with a "newbie% " prompt. What do I do? What book should > I buy? Sorry to bother you guys but it said to mail new-users > in case I needed help and I'm a new user!! :-) > :q > save > agh! > . > > newbie% > You have new mail. > newbie% mail > Mail version 8.1 6/6/93. Type ? for help. > "/var/mail/newbie": 1 messages 1 new > >N 1 help@freefall.cdrom.c Mon Apr 24 20:57 27/1165 "In answer to: " > & 1 > Subject: In answer to question ID: #496130-newbie@where.am.i > <header crap> > Reply-to: help-status@freebsd.org > > This is to confirm that your question: > > < text of question > > > Has been assigned one of our technical support volunteers. Please > reply to this message (quoting the question ID above if your mailer > doesn't automatically include it in the subject) ONLY if you do not > get a follow-up message within 72 hours. > > Thank you! > > <some signature> > > & q > You have new mail [assuming a perfect world :)] > % mail > Mail version 8.1 6/6/93. Type ? for help. > "/var/mail/newbie": 2 messages 1 new > R 1 help@freefall.cdrom.c Mon Apr 24 20:57 27/1165 "In answer to: " > >N 1 joe-mentor@freefall.c Mon Apr 24 22:01 27/1165 "In answer to: " > & 1 > Subject: Re: In answer to question ID: #496130-newbie@where.am.i > <header crap> > > Hi! I recommend the 4.4 BSD Lite doc set, until somebody actually gets > up off his ass and writes the FreeBSD Book he's been promising for > months. Other than that, /usr/share/FAQ and the source directory > is your friend! [etc etc]. > > - Joe > > & r > Subject: My god! > You guys are gods! An answer to my question only 5 minutes after I > asked it! I.. I'm going to tell ALL my friends about FreeBSD! I'm > going to tell my MOTHER about FreeBSD! I'm going to tell my DOG.. [etc etc] > > ---- > > I think you guys get the picture.. :-) I really like the idea of > tracking the conversations in both directions and archiving the > results. This has substantial plus points: > > 1. You can tell if a question has gone unanswered due to the first > mentor chosen being on vacation or something. This is what > the oracle does, and it even lets the first oracle know that he's > been "fired" when the message is reassigned. The original > questioner could also be sent a follow-up apologising for the > delay, say that someone else had been chosen and ask the user > to be patient for just a little while longer. > > 2. You can peruse the `conversation logs' and get some dandy FAQ > entries out of the whole process, to say nothing of a deeper > understanding of where the documentation has fallen obviously > flat. > > 3. Other people on the mentor list can scan it and use some of it > for sending canned replies back to those asking similar questions. > > > On the minus side, such a system is a LOT harder to initially set up and > maintain, but then that's just a PERL problem and we all already know that > PERL can do anything.. :-) > > Jordan > >
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