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| Is the Newbie forum useful? |
| Remove the Newbie forum & merge threads to other forums |
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37% |
[ 45 ] |
| As above, but change the Newbie forum into a FAQ forum |
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43% |
[ 52 ] |
| Newbie forum, and its problems, should be left alone because... (post reason) |
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12% |
[ 15 ] |
| I have a better idea (post idea) |
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5% |
[ 7 ] |
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| Total Votes : 119 |
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| Author |
Message |
dunbar
n00b
Joined: 29 May 2002
Posts: 45
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 Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2002 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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Newbies do not always know enough about their problem to know whether it is considered a network issue or a kde issue or an X issue.
Hence, Newbie forum might better be renamed "unsure what my problem is".
Any forum which endeavors to be a FAQ delivery mechanism will ultimately become posted to, so any FAQ forum should be locked, so as to ensure KISS; otherwise the FAQ forum might get all the posts about specific problems.
Relevant FAQ points of concern:
General, not specific. Man, how I hate getting into an FAQ only to see the topic ramble into the nuances of subtle irrelevant issues (like how this one needs to explain how to generate PDF versions of the document.... why?). KISS: not everyone that adds a soundcard will actually configure an 'Surreal 56.72' sound system, so a soundcard FAQ needs to be less specific.
Along the lines of how adding a nic can be as simple as this:
| Code: | # insmod NIC_module_name_here, and look for errors
# lsmod and look for errors, |
then edit /etc/modules.conf to alias the module to the eth0 port like this: | Code: |
alias eth0 NIC_module_name_here.
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I'm not sure if that code sample is right or wrong, but I'm not seeking help; I'll fix it, if it is wrong, for the sake of research ethics.
Then, after that is posted as an FAQ, let any resulting FAQs arise in the other forums (because the FAQ forum is locked), and as the questions arise, summarize the answers into a new, separate FAQ for the most common problems.
Lets assume that the user can't communicate outside the very local network, and the most frequently offered answer becomes incorrect subnet mask. Thus, the new FAQ might be titled 'getting connected beyond your routers blockade'. I really think that the new topic should not be titled subnet mask, because a newbie might not know what the term used is (properly) called - the are searching according to their problem not knowing the cause, they need to learn about the cause from their succesful search. Then inside the second FAQ, briefly introduce the proper term: when the router won't let you past, then the subnet mask needs to be checked in /etc/rc.local (or wherever it actually resides). This creates a lot of piecemeal answers, yes, but I'd never know that subnetting was the proper name for my problem and I'd never know if the subnetting in the FAQ titled 'Cable Modem' would actually apply to me. thus I'd be posting and you'd all be scratching your heads.... more than you are now.  |
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pjp
Administrator
Joined: 16 Apr 2002
Posts: 20113
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2002 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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TheCoop has started a discussion about how the FAQ would work over here.
_________________
Quis separabit? Quo animo? |
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antik
Apprentice
Joined: 01 Oct 2002
Posts: 212
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2002 7:16 pm Post subject: Re: Newbie forum feedback |
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| There must be better search engine (especially for newbies), something like google. |
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klieber
Bodhisattva
Joined: 17 Apr 2002
Posts: 3657
Location: San Francisco, CA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2002 7:21 pm Post subject: Re: Newbie forum feedback |
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| antik wrote: | | There must be better search engine (especially for newbies), something like google. |
There's a reason Google is the most popular search engine on the internet. It kicks ass. They also have a team of several hundred people that work to make it that way.
--kurt
_________________
The problem with political jokes is that they get elected |
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klieber
Bodhisattva
Joined: 17 Apr 2002
Posts: 3657
Location: San Francisco, CA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2002 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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Folks --
Thank you for all the feedback. There have been some great ideas suggested in this thread and we'll be discussing them, as well as some other options, extensively before deciding the fate of the newbie forum.
Again, thanks for the input.
--kurt
_________________
The problem with political jokes is that they get elected |
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