Radoslaw
If we're talking about "rules" or "etiquette" for using the list. I would
propose one which is, if you ask a question, you *own* it - other than the
tangential issues which so often quite usefully arise - and so you should
describe the resolution even if it's "I have to give up on this one and not
use that function - or whatever - since I have other things to do - or
whatever. So often we water the plant and it doesn't grow.
Chris Mason
----- Original Message -----
From: "R.S." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.ibm-main
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 11:11 PM
Subject: Re: Questions to the list
Lizette Koehler wrote:
I disagree to some extent. Some of the newbie questions may be due to the
fact they have no one mentoring them. Or two, they do not have access to
all the resources we do. Not all countries (ie Outside the USA) will not
allow the written material to be available like we do inside the USA.
[...]
Been there. In my shop I am the last person "who should know the
answer". The problem is I have noone to ask <g>. I had not any mentor,
any senior sysprog. We started from scratch (one of the few *new* ligths
on mianframe map). Fortunately I can ask on IBM-MAIN. I appreciate it
very much.
While I understand people annoying for "obvious" qeustions, I've got to
admit sometimes it is so obvious for *us*, but not for *him*. Of course
in many cases it is lazyness or even stupidity of the person asking.
BTW: My observation - in what case one can expect the answer:
- the problem falls into category "oh I've been there, experienced the
same problem". So this is the value of sharing the experience. The most
important IMHO.
- the problem is interesting, or the question contains some mistake,
oversimplification, etc. In this case works "no, you're wrong, your
assumption ... you should start with..." Sometimes the answering person
is also not 100% correct, so someone else wants to complement it, etc.
Usually the thread is veeeery long and deviated from original problem
asked.
What questions are usually not answered:
-questions which are to general, to much open. Like "what are the rules
for writing good JCL code", or "I don't know how to print some report
from my system".
- questions which are not understandable. Very often due to lack of
language skills (who's writing it!), but not only. The second case is
very unclear, long message, no simple questions asked. Nobody knows what
the point is.
- the topic is not popular. In other words no one knows the answer, or
rather, noone from the active part of IBM-MAIN community. As an example
I asked about LED meaning on the Express2 cards.
What I'm trying to do everytime I want to post the question is:
1. Deeply diagnoze the problem. When it occurs, what are the symptoms,
what software versions, etc.
2. Try to find explanation in RTFM. In fact I always do it *before* I
decide to ask others.
3. *Write down the question*. Provide all necessary details, use simple,
clear syntax. Leave it for a while and look at it again. Then send.
4. In case I found the answer or someone answered me offline, I'm going
to answer myself, just to save other's time and brain, to inform the
problem is solved.
Obviously nobody is perfect, especially me...
My $0.02.
--
Radoslaw Skorupka
Lodz, Poland
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