Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 17:58:31 -0800 From: Kent Stewart <kstewart@urx.com> To: John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org> Cc: Ron Tarrant <rtarrant@sympatico.ca>, doc@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Misleading Message-ID: <3ABFF3C7.EB593238@urx.com> References: <XFMail.010326121116.jhb@FreeBSD.org>
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John Baldwin wrote: > > On 26-Mar-01 Ron Tarrant wrote: > > Hi, > > > > The other day, I was reading Chapter 19 of the FreeBSD handbook online > > and got into a bit of a pickle after clicking on a link. I'd like to > > bring your attention to the following passage: > > > > --------------------------------- start > > ------------------------------------ > > 19.2.2.3. Using FreeBSD-STABLE > > > > 1.Join the FreeBSD-stable mailing list <freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.org>. > > This will keep you informed of build-dependencies that may appear in > > stable or any other issues requiring special attention. Developers will > > also make announcements in this mailing list when they are contemplating > > some controversial fix or update, giving the users a chance to respond > > if they have any issues to raise concerning the proposed change. > > > > The FreeBSD CVS commit message mailing list <cvs-all@FreeBSD.org> > > mailing list will allow you to see the commit log entry for each change > > as it is made along with any pertinent information on possible > > side-effects. > > > > ------------------------------------ end > > ------------------------------------- > > > > The two bits in angle brackets ( <freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.org> and > > <cvs-all@FreeBSD.org> ) appear, at first glance, to be links set up to > > join the respective mailing lists. Unless the reader goes so far as to > > read the next paragraph after these two, s/he won't realize this is not > > the case. I was informed by two different readers of the freebsd-stable > > mailing list that my message asking to be added to the freebsd-stable > > mailing list went out to everyone who subscribes, rather than just to > > the majordomo. > > > > I'd like to suggest that these links be either changed to point to the > > appropriate e-mail addresses or be taken out altogether so as to avoid > > this type of thing happening. I'm not a newbie to computers or to UNIX, > > but I was mislead by this and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I was > > embarassed to find that, in my haste to quickly sign up to the mailing > > list, I ended up looking like a bit of a dweeb to everyone else already > > signed on. I admit I was in a hurry, but I don't quite understand why > > these links would be set up in such a way as to post messages directly > > onto the list. Seems a bit chancey in the grand scheme of things, given > > that a number of corporate and marketing types are turning to FreeBSD > > these days. Every single one of them, considering the time pressure > > they're under, will likely do the same thing I did (who reads more than > > they have to, right?). For the sake of the mailing list subscribers, I > > implore you to make these changes. > > > > Thanks for reading. If any part of this message comes across as rude, I > > appologize. > > The links are appropriate I think (note that those are the e-mail addrs of the > list, which is the same consistent style of the rest of the documentation). > Perhaps having 'Join' be a hyperlink to the section that talks about > subscribing to lists would work however? It probably needs to be a menu item. I read a long time ago that a study had determined that 80% of the people do not scroll past the first screen unless they see something that applies to them. I think the number of people having problems subscribing could be related to that. I see a similar problem with /usr/src/UPDATING. People think it is a change history and never scroll 200 lines to the messages about updating to 4-stable. Kent > > -- > > John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org> -- http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/ > PGP Key: http://www.baldwin.cx/~john/pgpkey.asc > "Power Users Use the Power to Serve!" - http://www.FreeBSD.org/ > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message -- Kent Stewart Richland, WA mailto:kbstew99@hotmail.com http://kstewart.urx.com/kstewart/index.html FreeBSD News http://daily.daemonnews.org/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message
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