After instigating all of this discussion earlier in the week I've been
encouraged, enraged and at some points I've got downright angry at some
of the responses and attitudes towards new users.
I think there are some points that _most_ would agree on that we may be
able to use as a basis for something constructive. Everybody has had a
chance to make their opinion heard, but I think we need to move beyond
discussion now and do something.
I think _most_ people do agree on the following, even if we dont agree
on how we progress it.
Most people:
- are against a split of the list
- Agree that new users should understand more about the responsibilities
of running an MTA before starting to build one.
- Agree that learning to run an MTA is hard.
- That teaching someone to secure an MTA is better than hoping that they
figure it out themselves.
- That someone who is not prepared to learn how to run an MTA properly
should be discouraged from running one.
- That someone who does not actually need to run a dedicated MTA should
made aware of the other alternatives first (It just came with my distro
so I'm using it type people).
- RFC's are essential and useful but a lot to digest at once, so most
new-users don't bother.
- Being shown the key parts of an RFC that have been highlighted by a
more experienced mentor is better than not reading any of them at all.
- The more familiar users are with a full RFC, the better administrator
they are likely to become (and the less they will bother more
experienced users with _dumb_ questions).
- RFCs are not for slapping new users who come too close to "real
admins" who have seen it all before.
- A full RFC taken undiluted can lead to a dry mouth, dizzynes or chest
pains.
- No single document or checklist exists to help someone who genuinely
wants to become a skilled and responsible mail admin.
- Lots of problems experienced admins face day-to-day are created by
inexperienced admins who need help. "Prevention is better than mime
decoding" or "prevention is better than spam-assassin" whichever you prefer!
My revision suggestion:
-----------------------
A) Encourage "new-users" to learn a core set of skills before taking on
the responsibility of running a _real_ MTA. Converters from other MTAs
should already have this but may need a reminder.
We will have to borrow or write this for them. I think we should give
them access to some reading material and offer 5 multiple choice
questions on a web page. If they submit 5 correct answers we give them
another chunk of info to read and ask 5 more multiple choice questions.
This could be done from a web page once the documents and questions are
decided. Most of this could be done by cutting and pasting from RFCs.
Bite sized chunks would be the key here.
B) Keep a single "exim-users" list but ask new-uses to include
"new-users" somewhere in the subject line, list members can then choose
to either:
- Read everything
- Read everything everything except "new-users"
- Only read "new-users" (this would be my category as I have nothing to
offer to the experts)
This would make searching a much easier for new users and could even be
used to generate a useful reference for those of us who are drowning in
the sheer number of possibilities exim provides.
I think we have missed the fact that we have a big group of exim users
that exist between "experts" and "new-users" who can offer little to the
current list traffic but could be a huge help to new users just by the
fact they they have working installations that may be similar to what
new-users are trying to achieve.
I have changed my opinion, and now agree with some of the experts who
suggested that we should provide a course or list of recommended reading
for new users BEFORE revisiting the new user debate again.
What does everyone else think?
Thanks
Jason "trouble-maker" Meers
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