[ale] Ale subscribers

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

Hi all,

I don't mean to hurt anyone by what I'm about to say and I don't want to fight and I probably won't mention this again.

I'm NOT talking about the off topic message issue here.

If you want to maintain membership and attract new people, then be more friendly and welcoming to people when they're ON topic or tangentially on topic, even if the topic is simplistic or even OBVIOUS.  If they ask a question, it's not obvious to them.

If I were a non member and a newbie, and I took the time to review the archives to any substantial degree, I would probably not join.

Since I've been a member, I would never recommend the list to a newbie.  I might recommend the list to someone with 5 years of linux experience.  If someone wants a resource for learning linux, I'm going to send them to the Going Linux podcast.

Many people are nice and accommodating here, but enough are not that I wouldn't characterize it as a nice place to be.

I have learned a lot from many of you, and many of you have answered my questions, to be sure, and I have appreciated and do appreciate that information.

But, all in all, I don't see ale as an effective outreach to convert new people to the joys of linux, as well as getting them through the, sometimes substantial, pain if they're trying to do anything esoteric.

Also, there is one very good reason why someone might ask here about an issue FIRST, before googling it.  That is, TRUST.  Even though I disagree with some here periodically, I trust your opinions on technical issues that you've had experience with.

So, just pulling an example out of thin air, if I ask about media players and you tell me that Banshee is good, I'm going to give that more credibility than if I just google it and get the exact same data, unless the source from google is someone I know, like Ars Technica or Anandtech, etc.

Converting to linux, or even using it in tandem with something else, is a substantial, radical, and difficult transition to make.  If you want to grow the community, then you need to make it as easy for the newbies as possible.  You don't want them to be frustrated by the people they associate with as well as the technology they're dealing with.

If you want to attract and keep newbies (and maybe you don't), then you have to embrace newbies, and their questions, and their problems.  If running Linux is truly superior to running Windows or Mac, then you have to clearly, patiently, repeatedly explain the reasons why as new members join.  They don't come to linux, in general, because they hate Microsoft or Apple.  They may come for financial reasons, or security reasons, or maintenance, or just curiosity.  If you want them to invest the time, energy, and the sometimes money to become a convert, you're going to have to show them a motive and benefit they can relate to and endorse in order to do it.  You don't trash them because they compare running Windows or Mac to running Linux, or because they choose not to go "whole hog" and throw away everything they have and know.

So, end of rant.  If you want to attract newbies, that's how to go about it.

Personally, after observing the group for several years, I don't think the core of people who post here DO want to attract or deal with newbies, and new ideas.  I think you want it to be the experienced linux insiders group.  If so, so be it.  That leads to a highly specialized group with relatively small membership.

And, who knows what the lurkers think?

As I said, I don't mean any offense, and if it did offend, I'm sorry.

Sincerely,

Ron



Jim Kinney <jim.kinney at gmail.com> wrote:

>On Oct 15, 2013 10:50 PM, "Aaron Ruscetta" <arxaaron at gmail.com> wrote:
>>

-snip-

> Of course, the factors may well be some
>> of the others mentioned in this thread, like the advent of other
>sources
>> of information; there is a lot that a little google fu can do to
>answer
>> questions these days.
>>
>
>This certainly accounts for few new members under 30 years old. I can't
>fathom using faceplant or twit to replace a 20+ year old mailing list.
>Different concepts and methods.

-snip-

>Right now, my focus is to stop the hemoraging of members. Some activity
>from the gray beards would help. New people or projects would help,
>too.
>

-snip-



--

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Please excuse my potential brevity if I'm typing on the touch screen.

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com
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