[kwlug-disc] Posting without subscribing to the KWLUG-Help list

[Insurance Squared Inc.]

I'm just saying, newbs ain't going to sign up to a mailman list.  It's 
1990's technology.  Nobody starts up any sort of community discussion 
these days using mailman technology.  Newbs will go elsewhere, to some 
more familiar venue.

The idea that it's their fault, we've done everything we can is 
incorrect as well.  It's not the newbs that are not drinking, it's the 
community who's placing onerous restrictions on their participation.

I'm not looking to give Paul et al more work, and I don't have a 
preference as to how the job gets done or even if it gets done.  But I'm 
pretty certain that if the intent is to help newbs, this route is 
actually going to discourage them.

People have a distaste for forums, they're in the minority - look 
around.  People don't want to visit a site to answer questions, then 
they're not going to 'help' anyway, so not much of a loss anyway.  So 
don't do a forum, don't do other methods, whatever - but then you might 
just as well not bother doing it at all.  Setting up a mailman list is a 
wasted effort if you're targetting newbs.

I post very actively online - and I attempt to help quite frequently 
(daily) online, though outside the linux community.  And in the 90's, I 
was on a few mailman lists.  Now, this is the only mailman list I'm on.  
And when I see mailman lists when I google problems, I assume their dead 
- and I would never, ever sign up for a list just for a drive by, one 
time newb question.  I would, and do however sign up for other methods 
to ask my help  questions.






On 02/06/10 01:42 PM, Shane wrote:
> Why wouldn't novices/neophytes (newbie, yuk!) join the HELP list.  You can lead a neophyte to information but trying to force feed them is a waste of time and effort.
>
> There are many sites on the web where help can be found if not here.   What we could do is maintain a list of sites that are known to be good sources.
> ================
> It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Nijjar<paul_nijjar at yahoo.ca>
> Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2010 09:59:30
> To: KWLUG discussion<kwlug-disc at kwlug.org>
> Subject: Re: [kwlug-disc] Posting without subscribing to the KWLUG-Help list
>
> On Wed, Jun 02, 2010 at 07:27:55AM -0400, Insurance Squared Inc. wrote:
>    
>> I'm a bit late to the party, but two comments:
>>      
>    
>> - do I have to post to the help list now? :)
>>      
> No. Absolutely not. kwlug-disc can continue as it was before.
>
> As for the other issues: this is a long discussion we have had several
> times. If we use a web forum then our experts won't check it. If we
> use a mailing list newbies won't join. If we try integration then
> everything blows up.
>
> Rather than having this discussion again let me look for solutions.
>
> If somebody wants to start a forum then go for it and I can add it as
> a help resource on the mailing list. (The BigTent thing STILL says
> that it is temporarily down, which is not a good sign.)
>
> - Paul
>
>    

-- 
Glenn Cooke
Insurance Squared Inc.
(866) 779-1499
www.insurancesquared.com

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