Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 22:33:34 -0000 (GMT) From: Duncan Barclay <dmlb@ragnet.demon.co.uk> To: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> Cc: "freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG" <freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG>, "John M. Purser" <jpurser@wilcofarmers.com> Subject: Re: FW: One step forward.... Message-ID: <XFMail.980327223334.dmlb@computer.my.domain> In-Reply-To: <19980328074141.56389@welearn.com.au>
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On 27-Mar-98 Sue Blake wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 27, 1998 at 08:56:00AM -0800, John M. Purser wrote:
>> On Friday, March 27, 1998 8:21 AM, Duncan Barclay
>> [SMTP:dmlb@ragnet.demon.co.uk] wrote:
>> >
>> > Hi John,
>> >
>> > Hope you -newbies don't mind me (been around FreeBSD a few years)
>> > helping out?
>
>> Mind? Hell no bud! If you've got the patience and have worked out these
>> thing
>> before then speak up!
>
>
> ... but PLEASE always move your conversation to freebsd-questions if the
> matter is at all suitable for that mailing list. Answers to questions,
> solutions to problems at any level belong on -questions where others can see
> them.
I was a bit unsure about answering directly and nearly email you for
"permission" (guidance really). I guess the best is a direct reply and
cc: to -questions (which I don't read).
> I'm not so much worried about this one specific conversation but if I don't
> respond loudly to the above comments, others will take it as being open
> season.
>
> Anything that covers "how to go about learning" rather than "how to fix the
> problem" sits well in a newbies-only environment, *because* newbies can
> fairly safely help each other on that without being pre-empted by more
> advanced users.
>
Out of interest, how do you think things are shaking out? The list has
been up for a few days now and it seems to be attracting the target audience.
I wonder if it is worth you creating a few standard replies to the common
problems (to save you typing the same things dozens of times!). The list
below is really what you already manage to handle (very patiently too!)
- email formatting, and why it should be so.
- questions vs. learning/hey I did this...
- maybe a documentation reminder listing not only the
manpages, FAQ, handbook and tutorials but other things.
- a note saying don't be afraid to say to use ee and other
"simple" tools, that's why they are there. A historic
note: every now and then a debate on -hackers starts up
on the benefits of ee and most of -core stick up for it as they
see it as the best for the job (new users, commands shown on screen,
and small enough to fit into the boot/install floppies).
The third one could be set up as an auto responder to people posting to the
list for the first time (procmail I guess).
Duncan
---
________________________________________________________________________
Duncan Barclay | God smiles upon the little children,
dmlb@ragnet.demon.co.uk | the alcoholics, and the permanently stoned.
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