Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 23:01:46 +1100 From: Sue Blake <sue@freebsd.org> To: FreeBSD-Newbies@freebsd.org Cc: FreeBSD Core Team <core@freebsd.org> Subject: It's time to shut down this list. Message-ID: <20041228230146.A70476@welearn.com.au>
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FreeBSD-Newbies was created at a time when FreeBSD had only been home
to experienced Unix people with a strong Old Internet community culture.
Occasionally new people had come in and pretty quickly adjusted to
the culture (or left), but until that time we had been almost
entirely the Venerable Hacker type. But we had a sudden new influx
of people who had no Internet or Open Source Community culture,
and the rate was increasing. Some place was needed for them to
talk together about how to culturally integrate with FreeBSD,
and for general chatter of a type that was banned on other lists.
We had a list called FreeBSD-Chat which was the kind of thing
but it was traditionally the place for FreeBSD-Hackers members
to retreat to, continuing conversations that had started in the
other list. They didn't want the mood to change, so we needed
to set up something like a FreeBSD-Newbies-Chat. It could also
be a place to help with learning to use the mailing lists
correctly, including the importance of sticking to list charters.
Due to some vague technical or aesthetic limitations, it could not be
called a triple name and had to be shortened from the most obvious
name to FreeBSD-Newbies, therefore it had to have a strong charter to
remind people that it is for chat only, not questions, plus a
periodic reminder notice to the list (the FAK). Yes, leaving the
name like that was a big mistake. I told you so.
From time to time people have asked for a place for new users to
ask for technical help. That place is, and has always been,
FreeBSD-Questions. If you want a separate group for that, then you
have an issue that has nothing to do with the present discussion.
If there ever were a mailing list for newbie tech support, it would
NOT be this one, it would NOT be this one, do I make myself clear?
A new mailing list would have to be created for the purpose, with a
different name as well as a different list charter. But that's not
the topic of this email. I'm talking only about the social chat
list, FreeBSD-Newbies, that catered for a sudden influx of newbies
last century when newbies were very rare in our community and our
community wasn't sufficiently prepared to understand their social
needs.
That was many years ago now. Newbies are no longer an extremely
small bunch of odd people coming in and not knowing how we behave.
They are a large active and vital part of our community. The
time for an enclave to protect and encourage their social
interactions in a separate environment is over. Newbies are
much more accepted on all the other mailing lists, indeed their
presence is now expected.
The FreeBSD-Newbies list has served its purpose, and if thrashed
further will become a liability. Therefore I propose to
disband the FreeBSD-Newbies list by late January 2005.
We might make it read-only from 21st to 30th so that we can
issue a final notice to those who don't read it often (like me).
Now what are you going to do? I suggest you take your place in the
mainstream community as you deserve to do. Let them know you're a
newbie when you write, and they'll treat you gently. Be sure to
read and agree to the List Charter of each mailing list before you
start using it. And remember, there's no free lunch. You should
consider helping other newbies on FreeBSD-Questions when you feel
competent to do so, and your new user insights are highly valued by
the FreeBSD-Doc documentation group, so please consider helping out
with proof reading and testing docs. The only place that chatter
is allowed is FreeBSD-Chat, and I expect you're all already
subscribed to the read-only FreeBSD-Announce list.
Thanks to the FreeBSD Wise Ones who respected this list for what
it was, a place for newbies to relax, for so many years. Thanks to
counteless generations of newbies who helped other newbies to
feel welcome and find their way around the main mailing lists.
And to the current newbies, welcome to FreeBSD, you won't
be sorry you joined us, and nor will we. Happy coming-of-age!
--
Regards,
-*Sue*-
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