"Arnel G. Pastrana" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > In Portland they are using also PLUG, as Portland Linux User Group. > If we can come up to different name may be that better. so that when > we find it in the web we can find our own name. > > Why not extend PLAG into PLAGUE > > Phil. Linux Admins Group and Unix Enthusiasts
There's nothing wrong with using "PLUG", even if we have a naming collision. After all, we share letters with quite a few places - even ph-linux-newbie can be confused with, say, a group based in Philadelphia! Tip: When searching on the web, you can use other keywords to help you get more relevant results. For example, "site:lists.q-linux.com" already mentioned on this list (or was it the other list?) can let you Google for posts on the PLUG mailing lists. "PLAGUE" has... rather negative connotations, you think? Besides, it's also the name of a plagiarism detection program, among other things. I think PLUG is fine. I just feel that it may be a better idea to split advanced topics into ph-linux-advanced (or something like that) if people are really bothered by the misposts. "Advanced" people are probably more likely to adhere to posting guidelines, after all. ;) Proper netiquette will be expected of participants on that mailing list, and "me too!" posters and overquoters will be gently reminded (in private, preferably). ;) Different lists have different "okay" topics. A heated discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of different filesystems feels out of place on the newbie list, while "How do I install Linux?" belongs to the newbie list more. Another reason why we split the list is that we know we tend to wander somewhat off-topic while trying to answer a simple question. Newbies often need guidance and helpful answers, not detailed discussions on the merits of different packaging systems. (apt-get rules!) Sometimes we even leave the original questions unanswered. With the ph-linux-newbie mailing list's explicit focus on newbies, posters are encouraged to provide clear instructions and explanations. RTFM is not acceptable without a pointer to the appropriate manual, or at least an idea of what to search for on the Internet. When troubleshooting, we'll try the obvious things first, remembering when we were newbies and many things weren't obvious at all. We'll try to, hmmm, not get too annoyed at breaches of netiquette, like the "I agree" that I _specifically_ said I didn't want to see to my last post! <mumblemumble> It's not easy sometimes. ;) Of course we'd like people to eventually pick up on netiquette and we're often guilty of the same sins (like this habitual overquoter who really should know better than now!), but at least we won't jump to flame people for, say, hitting Reply but then typing a whole new message. (That leads to misthreading in smarter mail clients, and can be fairly annoying.) I remember that one of the concerns that arose when ph-linux-newbie was split off was this: will there be enough people on the list to help newbies with their questions? I'm very glad that ph-linux-newbie has been quite active, with several PLUG regulars stepping forward to handle many of the questions that the other newbies can't answer. =) I must confess to being quite a newbie myself when it comes to a lot of aspects of Linux, and I learn a lot from watching and occasionally participating in the discussions. There's a lot more traffic about off-topic things on the main PLUG list, probably because a lot of the times people don't know about the other lists. Some of these are newbie posts that belong on the main PLUG list. Others are posts that _really_ should be done through personal mail instead. This gets some people annoyed. Then other people get annoyed because those people get annoyed. (Hence the criticism that PLUG is not for newbies but rather for administrators.) It is easier for people who are "in the know" to shift rather than expect everyone to instantly understand why there are several lists and when it is appropriate to post a message to one list or another. Few people post to ph-isp and ph-perl, and even fewer to ph-networkers (last post: March 2002!). Perhaps that means the lists were too fragmented? (1 point to you if you even _know_ that ph-isp and ph-networkers existed.) Heck, I didn't even know about ph-licuts. It's still full of "Hello"s right now, but I have some interesting ideas I'd love to bounce around. I think that we can merge ph-linux-newbie into plug, serving the beginner to medium community better. One list to post to, and by the time newbies figure out what they don't like about all of those off-topic posts they're probably pretty comfortable with e-mail and Linux. Advanced discussions that don't fit into any of the already existing mailing lists (like aforementioned debates on filesystems or package management) can be consciously directed to a different mailing list. I propose ph-linux-advanced because it's not just for administrators but also for programmers and anyone with rather technical questions about Linux. If anyone can think of a better name (serious, mind you! ;) )... I'm actually quite partial to ph-linux-geek. ;) Then, of course, we'll have to see if our gracious hosts over at Q-Linux are okay with the plan. Thanks again for hosting our mailing lists! What do you think? (And _please_ no "I agree!" or "I disagree!" posts without carefully considered reasons!) -- Sacha Chua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> - 4 BS CS Ateneo geekette interests: emacs, linux, wearables, teaching compsci, making games _ Philippine Linux Users Group. 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