[plug] newbie list

[Matt Kemner]

Speaking of people with strong opinions...

On Mon, 8 Jan 2001, Scott wrote:

> A few of us were sitting around and discussing the plug list when it was
> mentioned that are newbie-howto list could  be set up.

> The idea is basically plug-newbie at linuxwa.com.au or
> plug-howto at linuxwa.com.au.

When I suggested LSWA could set up a newbie list of their own, I was more
thinking along the lines of "linux at linuxwa.com.au" or
"newbies at linuxwa.com.au"

It is not run by PLUG so you shouldn't associate it with PLUG.

PLUG has discussed setting up a plug-newbies (or similar list) ourselves
earlier, but the consensus was that nobody would use it, other than the
newbies, who would have nobody to answer their questions.  I mentioned
this to you also.

> I gather the original idea was to encourage people to get
> into linux i think that ideal has been lost along the way, now the list is
> only for professionals or for people with very strong opinions.

The original idea was for people who enjoyed using Linux to get together
and help each other along the way.  You should not forget that the PLUG
list consists entirely of volunteers, and most of those volunteers are not
willing to spend their precious time answering the same questions over and
over again when the people who ask the questions could very easily have
found the answer themselves had they spent just a tiny amount of time
searching.  The informal motto of PLUG is "help people help themselves"
which means if people ask such questions, they will often get an answer,
but they will also be told how they could have found the answer
themselves, thereby preventing them needing to ask the list again.

This is not unique to PLUG, but rather is the way it is done on support
newsgroups and mailing lists all over the Internet.

  If LSWA as a company want to sponsor a new list where anything
goes then kudos to you, and I for one am willing to donate my time to help
answer questions, but I am not sure how many other people are going to be
volunteering for what is essentially unpaid "Hel(p)desk" work.

 - Matt