Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 18:44:30 -0400 From: Robert Simmons <rsimmons0@gmail.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Other lists exist too - Was Re: Hardware Recovery Company Message-ID: <BANLkTinMJf%2BF1jntGT1Ot-wB0RVVqAQ_tQ@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <201105212013.p4LKD8uR091928@fire.js.berklix.net> References: <op.vvujlgwd34t2sn@tech304> <201105212013.p4LKD8uR091928@fire.js.berklix.net>
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On Sat, May 21, 2011 at 4:13 PM, Julian H. Stacey <jhs@berklix.com> wrote: > Questions@ started as a catch all fallback address for simple beginners > questions from the newly installed, who didn't know / =A0hadn't yet read > =A0http://www.freebsd.org/community/mailinglists.html > =A0http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/eresources.h= tml#ERESOURCES-MAIL > to find where more exactly one might ask a question. > > Recently questions@ seems to be performing roughly the same purpose > as hackers@ list, a random jamboree/ mellange of topics, which > doesnt make much sense to me (where theyre posted, not the content > of the questions), I think a lot of questions@ traffic would be > better posted to hackers@ or other themed @freebsd.org lists. Perhaps the text of the list charters in the handbook along with the short descriptions should be changed to reflect this, or at least clarify it. I have used FreeBSD for about 10 years, but I would never have thought to post to freebsd-hackers because the description is "This is a forum for technical discussions related to FreeBSD. This is the primary technical mailing list. It is for individuals actively working on FreeBSD, to bring up problems or discuss alternative solutions. Individuals interested in following the technical discussion are also welcome. This is a technical mailing list for which strictly technical content is expected." That's a pretty scary description. I have not even subscribed to the list, let alone lurked there or posted there due to that description. That description conjures an image of DES and PHK discussing the kernel and the color of its bikeshed. Now, the freebsd-questions list has the following description: "This is the mailing list for questions about FreeBSD. You should not send =93how to=94 questions to the technical lists unless you consider the question to be pretty technical." Now, the second sentence sounds like another do-not-disturb sign for the technical lists. So, according to the descriptions, it seems like this is the appropriate place for the jamboree. Perhaps the situation that you want is to have two lists, one for newbies, and another for the initiated. So, one solution would be to change the charter for freebsd-hackers to make it a bit less high-level. Another solution would be to create a new list freebsd-<insert-word-here> that would serve as a place to ask questions if you are not a newbie. I have a third solution. Leave everything the way it is. Having a jamboree with newbies and more versed people is good. Newbies can ask questions, non-newbies can ask questions, and importantly newbies can ramp up to answering questions they know the answer to. all in the same forum. Lastly, the description for freebsd-fs is "Discussions concerning FreeBSD file systems. This is a technical mailing list for which strictly technical content is expected." Asking for recommendations for a data recovery service (which is what the OP's message was) does not belong in freebsd-fs. The discussion may have evolved into a discussion that belongs on freebsd-fs, but that's only natural. All questions asked here will probably evolve into discussions that fit better on one of the various technical lists. In my opinion there has to be a free-for-all area where no type of questions are discouraged as you have in your message. As long as the question is about FreeBSD, it is allowed. How to eat a Yubari melon probably does not belong here, but other than keeping it to FreeBSD, I see no problems with the way it is now.
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