Re: No comments (responding to questions on the list)
On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 08:16:23 -0500
Ken Heard <ken@heard.name> wrote:
> Rafi Gabzu wrote:
>
> > Hi ,
> > In the last two weeks I stopped receiving answers to the questions I
> > post in this mailing list , till now it was very help full.
> > What happened ? something that I did ...?
> > Thanks,
> > Rafi
> >
> I did my own survey of posts to this list and discovered that fully
> half of them are never answered. Andrew Cater suggested two
> possibilities as to why:
>
> > a.) Everyone thought everyone else was going to answer
> > b.) No one had the appropriate answer.
c.) poster obviously didn't research (at all!) the issue prior to asking for help
d.) poorly worded question/lack of details ensure at least two more emails before the real issue can even be addressed...
not trying to flame, just pointing out things that have prompted me to not bother to answer. Is it better to respond RTFM?
>
> The real question however stems from the nature of Linux itself: an
> open source, mostly free software developed almost entirely by
> volunteers. At the moment Linux has the reputation -- probably deserved
> -- as being for geeks only. As such, it has no more than 3% of the
> market for operating systems for personal desktop and laptop computers.
>
> Now for the question: do the creators and users of Linux want it to
> expand beyond that 3%? If so, then Linux has to be made useable by the
> average BDU (brain dead user).
>
> A good start in this direction has already been taken: the creation of
> such distributions as Ubuntu and Kubuntu. More however needs to be
> done. Two essential tasks are improving the documentation and answering
> *ALL* questions asked by newbies on lists such as this one.
>
> I have already written elsewhere on the documentation issue. In the
> Debian system, the role of the documentors needs to be enhanced, with
> among other things a veto role in the approval process.
>
> As for answering questions, the Debian organization should ensure that
> *EVERY* question be answered within a reasonable period of time. The
> questions which are answered are mostly answered by somebody on the list
> within 48 hours. Somebody should be designated to see that questions
> not answered, say within 72 or 96 hours, will be. This person should
> either answer each question himself or -- more useful -- assign
> questions for answer to those people in the organization most suitable
> for each question.
The difficulty is, how do you motivate volunteers to answer questions that fall into my two categories above? At some point its gotta drive someone over the edge or worse, away from wanting to help.
.02 as always
Andrew
> --
> Ken Heard
> Research Associate
> Museum Studies Program
> University of Toronto, Canada
>
>
>
>
>
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