I've changed subject line - getting to be a habit :-)
At 19:49 03/09/2004 -0400, Troy Rollins wrote:
This is true. Many hobbyists become pros, and many pros like to help out those with less experience. But pros also need to share experience with each other sometimes, in an environment which is somewhat less noise to signal ratio... at some point, very generalized lists such as this one offer little to the pros other than the rewarding opportunity to help newbies. I am involved in such general lists for other tools, helping out the new folks, but when the work has to get done, and there is an advanced question to be asked... well, you don't do it there. It would get lost among the 18th "how do I put something into a variable?" question of the day.
In many cases, signal-to-noise ratio is more a function of "list culture" than it is of the expertise or knowledge of those involved. I personally find lists with too tight a focus less useful than ones that give some leeway.
Many professional programmers will be put off from Revolution if the only support list is full of DreamCard hobbyists and complete newbies doing a seventh grade homework assignment.
I think there's a serious case for a "use-dreamcard" list, which would be a good place for beginner, introductory questions. But I'd allow, even encourage, anyone to join both lists, and separate the traffic between the lists based on culture and peer pressure. There'll be some questions asked on the wrong list - but if the majority go to the right one, you've solved the signal-to-noise problem, and kept the benefits that beginners get from observing the full list.
Being on a list, and seeing all the traffic go by, is a very effective way to learn - being able to browse archives is, for me at least, much less effective.
Your pleading hobbyist, -- Alex.
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