[plug] Newcomers' welcome

[James Devenish]

Hi everyone,

Here is my first public draft of a newcomers' "welcome message".
This would be sent automatically to each new subscriber when he
or she joins the list. I welcome your revisions, and you should
probably post them to the list so that others than gauge their
feelings. When providing amendments to the message, please be
sure to quote clearly (or bottom-post) to make it practical
for us to merge your suggestions.

PS. In light of the recent discussion about beginners, I have
rewritten this message. I might have inadvertently left out a
few of the things we previously said we should include.
________________________________________________________________

Welcome to the discussion list of the Perth Linux Users' Group
(Australia). For more information about this list, and ways to
find answers to questions that have already been asked, visit
	http://www.plug.linux.org.au/resources/mailing-list
You can now send messages to the list by e-mailing
	plug at plug.linux.org.au

If you are new to Linux and already have a question, you may wish
to introduce yourself and indicate your level of (or lack of)
familiarity with Linux-based computing. Your question will be
read by anyone else who is currently reading the list, and it is
likely that someone will respond with an answer. However, please
keep in mind that it's "luck of the draw" who will read and
respond to your message. It is also important for you to "help us
to help you" and that you write for the benefit of being read.

To improve our ability to help you, there are several guidelines
for this list. These are all quite common compared with other
lists, but could seem daunting if you have not subscribed before.
We do not mind if you "break a few rules" when you are new, but
please don't be offended if you are asked to try to comply. Also,
please do not be offended if you don't receive a prompt reply to
every question: some subscribers only read their e-mail during
evenings or weekends and cannot read or respond to every message.

The following guidelines can also be viewed and bookmarked at
our website if you wish to delete this e-mail:
	http://www.plug.linux.org.au/resources/mailing-list#guidelines

________________________________________________________________
PLUG MAILING LIST GUIDELINES
Last revised January 2005.

1/ If you have a question, try to provide us with information
(take a guess!) so that we know what sort of computer you have
and what you have already attempted (if anything). Remember, we
are "strangers" and we can't guess what will be compatible with
your computer if you don't tell us what you already have. Also,
we *do* need to know if you have already had specific trouble.
In particular, let us know about any "errors message" you have
received.

	For example: if you wanted to know "how to use your CD
	burner", you need to let us know a few salient details. You
	might say "someone installed Mandrake 10 on my computer and
	I have a Sony disc burner, model ABC-123. I think I'm using
	GNOME but I don't know what the CD software is called". We
	would not need know other details like your graphics rating
	or screen size.

2/ If you have had your computer at a PLUG workshop or have been
referred via some other organisation (e.g. Computer Angels), it
is probably worth mentioning it.

3/ If you are writing a new e-mail (and not replying to an old
one), compose a fresh e-mail with a helpful "Subject". This is
so that people can see the new topic and not confuse it with
other messages. Do not use "Reply" if you are starting a new
topic: this could cause your message to get "linked"
automatically to unrelated messages.

4/ Always write for the benefit of being read. Try to be
considerate by writing good sentences with correct spelling so
that people can search your message for keywords. Remember that
e-mail is sometimes tricky to understand and it is not the same
as talking face-to-face.

5/ If you are replying to someone's post, please take care. If
you answer has lasting communal value, please send it to the list
(rather than directly to the other sender). This is what normally
happens when you reply to this list: so be careful if you are
typing something of a personal nature! Also, you should clearly
indicate which part of a message you are replying to. Try to
"quote" carefully by trimming out irrelevant paragraphs and
writing your response directly below the context of the original
message.

6/ If you make use of the advice received on this list, reply
to it and tell us whether it worked or didn't work. This helps
anyone else who has the problem in future.

7/ If you are providing an answer to someone else's question, try
to indicate whether you "know" you are right, or whether you are
just guessing. It is okay to guess, and we do not discourage
tentative suggestions, but be sure they are labelled that way.
Do not send a reply merely for its own sake.

8/ Many questions have been asked in the past, or might be beyond
our local experience. The Internet has many resources available,
and it is often wise to do some "pre-reading" by searching the
PLUG archives or the world-wide-web in general.

9/ If you know how, please avoid sending HTML ("rich text")
messages to the list (use plain text instead). Do not send
graphical attachments or software! If you are having difficulty
on the command-line, try to copy-and-paste the relevant details
into your post. If you have "log files", you may wish to attach
*short and relevant excerpts* to your e-mail. (If you try to
copy-and-paste large amounts of text, the lines get broken up
and we have to ask you to re-send.)

10/ The PLUG list is made up of people ranging from beginners to
professional experts. Some are very new to the list while others
have been here for years. This diversity can sometimes seem
intimidating, but there are usually other people who come from
the same perspective as yourself. Nevertheless, remember that
most replies are "getting down to business" and may be brief
in their opinions -- this should not be mistaken as a personal
insult.
________________________________________________________________