[hobbit] Sorry... I had to vent

[Ryan Novosielski]

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Vernon Everett wrote:
> Hi all
> 
> Without pointing any fingers, I would like offer some advice.
> Let's be nice.
> 
> Yes, I agree, some questions can be annoying, and have been asked and
> answered over and over, but we need to remember we were all ignorant once.
> Yes, There are multiple repositories of knowledge, but that is also part
> of the problem. Where to look.
> I recall a few years back, I was looking for an SMF file for Hobbit on
> Solaris 10. I searched, and couldn't find one, so I wrote my own and
> proudly posted it to the list, only to be told one already existed, and
> was available in the only place I didn't look. (It's still there
> http://xymonton.trantor.org/doku.php/addons:hobbitsmf - Thanks for that
> one Galen.)
> 
> I always think of list members in terms of profieciency, and measure it
> by the questions and sometimes the answers I see. Then I imagine the
> proficiency on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is a total noob, 10 would
> probably be Henrik.
> If you think of yourself as, for the purpose of this demonstration, a
> level 8 hobbit user, then you would be stuck on most questions coming
> from most level 9 or 10 users, but quite capable of solving problems
> from a level 1 to 7. However, the level 1 to 5 questions appear trivial
> to you, and annoy you.
> Ignore them. A level 3 question is obviously a challenge to a level 3
> person, but a delight for a level 4 or 5 to answer, and thus contribute
> constructively to the list.
> By the same token, even level 1 questions have their value.
> Not only do they allow moderate level users to actively participate in
> the list, and in so doing, reinforce their own knowledge, more
> importantly, it makes the level 1 noob feel that this is a friendly
> group of nice people willing to help them get started.
> There is nothing worse than trying to get involved in something that
> looks good, interesting and fun, only to be told to fsck-off! Some of us
> may have experienced that in life, some not - I can assure you though,
> it's not a good feeling.
> 
> In the past, when the question has been trivial, and covered in the man
> pages or similar documents, I have not given the answer, but pointed
> them to the respective page or mail archive entry. The "teach a man to
> fish" approach. (Search for my name and "endian" for an example of this
> in the mail archive)
> 
> If a question frustrates you, hit the delete key. Somebody else will
> respond.
> If a user frustrates you, set up a filter. That's why we have them.
> But lets be nice, even to those who might not deserve it. Besides the
> reasons listed above, it's just good karma.
> 
> Let me end by saying, that we should terminate this thread very quickly,
> before we have a flame war.

An excellent response. Having been one of the last people to ask a
question before this thread appeared, I couldn't help but look over my
question and wonder a bit if it was directed at me (I've decided it
wasn't as I read the documentation and, technically, it's incorrect).

I'd never thought of it the way you describe it, though... I'm sort of a
Xymon noob (I've had several years of experience on Big Brother and only
most of it transfers), and I've answered a few simple questions on here
and gotten something out of it. And for the most extreme, clearly isn't
even aware of the manual, I've sent an RTFM. Stupid questions often get
ignored, but often that drives someone to the manual without any effort.

A good natural system, I guess, if one doesn't read into it too hard. :)

- --
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 |Y#| |  | |\/| |  \ |\ |  | |Ryan Novosielski - Systems Programmer II
 |$&| |__| |  | |__/ | \| _| |novosirj at umdnj.edu - 973/972.0922 (2-0922)
 \__/ Univ. of Med. and Dent.|IST/CST - NJMS Medical Science Bldg - C630
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