Philip S Tellis [Sun Oct 28, 2001 at 03:03:28PM +0530]:
On Sun, 28 Oct 2001, Ravindra Jaju wrote:
Time for me to repeat what I'd asked for long
time back! ;-)
Why not fork the list!?
I really long for a techies-only list. Not that I won't subscribe to
To break my stand, I vote in favour of a fork.
This is long, you have been warned :-)
Okay, so the list forks, one for newbies and one more techie oriented. Can
you really say this will be for the good of Linux in Mumbai, or elsewhere ?
How does one define a newbie ? Someone who doesn't know he should RTFM ?
Heck, do you realise, he may not know that TFM actually exists ? I did not
know when I started using linux in the days when this list had just started
up (that is circa when pcq gave out rh 5.2) and John Fernandes (Hi John you
still around pal ?) actually walked me through the entire insatllation and
setup *over the phone* one sunday afternoon. Later Satya was my telephonic
benefactor.
So why relegate someone to an essentially second class list because he's a
newbie ? What stops anyone from having a techie discussion on this list
itself ? All you need is to put a say [tech] tag to the subject and use
procmail to put all these in a seperate folder that you can read first and
then if you want to, you could browse the rest of the list mails. The list
forks and most people will only subscribe to one or the other. The chances of
having a query answered on the newbie list will definitely dwindle. Then how
do you propose stopping *newbies* from subscribing to the techie list and
firing their queries there because they got no answer on the newbie list ?
Unsub them for asking, or keep the techie list open only by invitation ?
Nobody stops you from a techie discussion on this very list, most newbies
will probably not read the stuff at all, but you know, one or two might
benefit from it and take it a little further. There hasn't been *any*
technical discussion here anyway for quite some time since Philip sent in his
write up on going around vsnl's idiotic *anti-spam* measures. And Philip
seems mighty upset, he even forgot to change the subject line this time :) no
offence meant but that's how it is.
The list has been maxing out at a couple of (or three) dozen posts per day
give or take a few. So ignore the mails that don't interest you.
Sure, nothing stops you from just setting up a techie list, it's actually
just a matter of a few mouse clicks at
groups.yahoo.com and if you can
tolerate the yahoo sig, it is free as in beer. Yes I know mouse clicks sounds
like heresy in a mail about a linux *techie* list but the list I had to set
up last fortnight was for a group of chaps whose average age is 60+ and all
use windows, but with a little pushing I will get atleast a few of them to
give linux a try. Then they can choose for themselves. But we digress from
the discussion. Sorry. Just that I was in the Boy Scouts and we were expected
to do one good deed a day; I enjoy using linux and I'd like to give something
back even if it is only by convincing a few people to give it a try.
Not all computer users are tech savvy, so not all are bothered as to the
nuances of the OS. If he can exchange his email, browse the net and maybe
print out a letter or two, he is going to be satisfied. You cannot change this
attitude. Not every car owner can repair his own car if it breaks down. That
does not mean he can't drive a car or should not be issued a driving license.
The call for a techie list smells, at least to me, as being very elitist. I
am sure I have stepped on a few toes so I think I'll leave off here with an
apology to all such bearers of stepped-on toes; and besides you know, all of
us doctors suffer from a God-complex, so there :)
regards,
Sharukh.
all follow-ups to the list. death threats to personal mail :-)
--
Dr. Sharukh K. R. Pavri
Mumbai, India.