Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 11:18:23 -0500 From: Edmund_L_Mulligan@armstrong.com To: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: my list Message-ID: <8625666D.0056DF76.00@mailex01.Armstrong.com>
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For me, my aborted attempt to install FreeBSD by FTP is my first time
administering a Unix-like system in any form. (It was running but I gave up
fumbling with it. I will be back, with purchased book and CDROMs, whenever v3.x
comes out. Slow home access and work firewalls make downloading a pain. Is the
published book better than the on-line documentation?) Questions runs, on
average, above the level of the new user. It is fine for people who are
familiar with Unix like operating systems. Most of the messages there are
really just noise to the beginner, especially since the answer makes no more
sense than the question. I know the volume was causing problems for my mail
system here.
There needs to be a difference indicated between questions about:
A. getting FreeBSD installed and properly running and learning how to work with
the file system and the commands
B. doing things with the system once you understand Unix style operating
systems - using it for real applications
Kind of freebsd-qlearning vs. freebsd-qusing. So far the documentation seems to
be mostly for, and written on the level of, type B users. I hate always
sounding like the dumb guy, but having some simple documentation walking me
through all the possible options in the initial kernel setup would have saved me
two evenings of work.
Most times, and this is in many things not just freebsd, the real help for the
new user comes from another new user who just got done getting through the same
problem rather than the "old-hand" who just assumes you know the little tricks.
Yes, the real gurus would need to monitor both lists but this should be the same
volume of mail - just divided into two streams to help out the new users.
Did anyone else note that for all the complaints about what is -newbies supposed
to do, we've been using it properly? To support and discuss issues related to
new users that are not technical questions best handled on -questions. We've
been trying to design a better support system for new users, and all of this
would have really been noise on the -questions list. Thanks, Sue!
Ed
speaking for me, not for Armstrong
--------------------------------------------------------------
From: sue@welearn.com.au on 08/27/98 07:31 PM ZE10
To: grog@lemis.com
cc: gekk0@usa.net, freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG (bcc: Edmund L
Mulligan/Stillwater/FPO/Armstrong)
Subject: Re: my list
The reasons given recently have included that freebsd-questions is too
much mail for most home-user newbies to cope with, most of which is
"noise" to us in that it's too hard to understand, can't be used and is
not relevant. Also, there are people who want to have the chance to
give tips to others, even though they don't know much. Such tips are so
elementary that they would sound silly somewhere like freebsd-questions.
And for whatever reason, there is still a perception that the purpose
of freebsd-questions is not to help newbies.
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