Re: [hobbit] Sorry... I had to vent

[Vernon Everett <everett.vernon (at) gmail.com>]

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.

Regards
     V