Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 01:00:37 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jonathan M. Bresler" <jmb@kryten.atinc.com> To: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@freefall.cdrom.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 Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9504250048.N27338-0100000@kryten.atinc.com> In-Reply-To: <12851.798785050@freefall.cdrom.com>
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On Mon, 24 Apr 1995, Jordan K. Hubbard wrote:
> > 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:
> Subject: In answer to question ID: #496130-newbie@where.am.i
cool, perl can count. save newbie mail by id number, all mail
referencing that id number gets appended to the same mail file.
> <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
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
potential newbie stumper?
> doesn't automatically include it in the subject) ONLY if you do not
> get a follow-up message within 72 hours.
> 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.
so is oracle the answer? what is oracle, this is the first that
i have heard of it (stop laughing over there, its naught phunny!)
> 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.. :-)
have i got a webserver for you, jordan! and its all in perl even ;)
aside from some extra code, the only reservation i have about the above
scheme is: the newbie gets someone new each time. no rapport is built
up between the mentor and the newbie. the mentor has no context of other
problems that this newbie has encountered. each question is a new ball game.
this can be an advantage, the newbie gets diversity of
responders. but a newbie/mentor relationship might be better for the newbie.
we can still assign question ids and file mail by question id,
storing the net-knowlege away for future use. (hmmm...wais sounds good)
jmb
Jonathan M. Bresler jmb@kryten.atinc.com | Analysis & Technology, Inc.
| 2341 Jeff Davis Hwy
play go. | Arlington, VA 22202
ride bike. hack FreeBSD.--ah the good life | 703-418-2800 x346
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