Time to shut down this list?

[Xian]

On Thursday 23 December 2004 10:19, Charles Oppermann wrote:
> >>1.  It's not the original charter of the mailing list.  For reference:
>
> I've always thought this was silly.  All throughout the internet "newbies"
> implies beginner.  A newbie mailing list regarding an operating system is
> naturally going to have people posting technical questions.  Even if the
> newbie is aware of the technical questions mailing list, they may make the
> choice to post to freebsd-newbies because of intimidation.
>
> I understand the purpose of the list is "a gathering place for people new
> to FreeBSD" to "share [their] experiences with others" and I think that's
> wonderful.
>
> To accomplish that goal then, why not simply have a "freebsd-experience"
> mailing list?
>
> Personally, I think newbies (myself included) are intimidated by the
> freebsd-questions list and feel they will be more welcomed in a newbies
> list.  For that reason, I think the freebsd-newbies list should stick
> around and have it's charter changed to allow technical discussions - with
> a caveat that they be moved to another list if not newbie oriented.
>
> Regardless of what's done, something has to change simply because so many
> people make the mistake of not reading or abiding my the current charter.
> Currently newbie's are chastised at the very time they feel most intimated.
> Instead, they should be welcomed, encouraged and nurtured.
>
> I'm glad the FreeBSD organization is discussing this, because it's been
> painful for me to watch people basically get yelled at for posting.  Might
> not seem like yelling to someone who subscribes to a dozen or more lists
> and has tons of experience, but I'm sure the wet-behind-the-ears newbie has
> a different impression of what is likely their first experience with the
> FreeBSD community.

I originally signed up to -questions and -newbies, but was overwhelmed by the 
volume of mail on -questions and unsubscribed after a few days. I feel much 
more comfortable with -newbies, especially if I want to ask a very basic 
question because I know we have all been there at some point.

I think it is better to tell some people that they should be asking on 
-questions than close -newbies as really new people may feel intimidated and 
not ask the very basic questions that this list is for.

I remember vividly when I had just installed FreeBSD, it asked for my lo gin 
so I gave it my user name. Then it asked for a password so I gave it that. 
But what sort of a question was '%'? I was most worried when 'help' didn't 
work. I asked this list and anyone who would listen many basic questions that 
I was wouldn't dared have asked on -questions.

-- 
/Xian

"Security is not the absence of danger, but the presence of God, no matter 
what the danger"
Anon