[Code] The not-so-silent Admin speaks...

From: Alex (fletcher@cspo.queensu.ca)
Date: 02/21/97


Time to comment on most of the recent FAQ/Doc/Spam related mail that has
crossed the list in one big-ass post to save you all from having to read
multiple letters since some people out there rarely read documentation
or mail unless it answers their questions exactly, and if it doesn't,
they send mail again, and again, and again until it is answered. (=

John Evans wrote:
> To make up for the bandwidth usage that the FAQ will use, perhaps drop
> the "mailing list sig file" (don't know what it is really called) that
> is appended to ALL emails that past through the daemon.
I can't remember who it was, but the comment about sending just the list
of questions out to the list might even be the best way about things, just
listing which questions were updated/added.  However, losing the thing at
the bottom is, IMNSHO, not an option since it points at the Mailing List
FAQ, which gives subscribe and unsubscribe instructions.  The regular
CircleMUD FAQ is the one that answers questions on 'how things work'.

Corey Hoitsma wrote:
> I don't mind simple questions like: How do I add more levels? It's jsut
> that EVERYONE answers back to the list says, 'Read the FAQ' or whatever,
> rather than sending it in to the person that asked. Stuff like how to
> add more levels is trivial, and shouldn't be answered that way unless
> they have problems:)
To be honest, it used to be that I didn't mind that, but I've seen that
said-same question 6 times in the last couple of months, a couple of those
coming from people who have even been on the list since late *last* fall.
This is a problem to me.  It is suggesting that the list has become more
of a *first* line of question answering as compared to its intent as a
third or fourth line one.  Now, if the question is 'how do I add levels?',
there is a perfectly good document sitting on the FTP site, happy and
ready to use.  Point them at that.  If you're keen, mail them it.  If
we stop answering questions on the list that are already *easily* answered
by exisiting documentation, it'll mean that the person who wrote that
document did *not* completely waste their time.  If anything, by answering
these questions constantly, we are wasting our own time which could be
put to better use with discussing new methods of doing something, new
ideas, and so forth.  After all, I didn't put all that time into the FAQ
answering questions that came up *very* often just because I had time to
burn, I was hoping that it might help people along, and have them figure
something out for themselves.  Unfortunately, that FAQ is rarely accessed
on the web (checking the logs indicates that 5-6 people a week access it,
if that), and I doubt that it is accessed any more frequently on the FTP
site.

My basic point is this:  We have the documentation, let's *try* to use
it and attempt to minimize the 'newbie' questions on the list.  Please.

F.
--
Erm... Yeah.  Whatever.

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| Ensure that you have read the CircleMUD Mailing List FAQ: |
|   http://cspo.queensu.ca/~fletcher/Circle/list_faq.html   |
|    Or send 'info circle' to majordomo@cspo.queensu.ca     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : 12/18/00 PST