>From: Harold Fuchs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Jan 5, 2007 4:42 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: [users] Forced Registration For This List (was Re: [users] Return >receipts) > >On Friday, January 05, 2007 2:27 PM [GMT+1=CET], James Mckenzie ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Harold: >> >> No the problem is that our Readme makes it look like >> [email protected] is a technical HELP DESK. That is, I send you a >> message and a panel of service agents send me a reply with the >> answer. This NEEDS TO BE FIXED. A better readme would definitely >> help. If people were aware that [email protected] was a mailing >> list and we ENFORCED SUBSCRIPTION that would end a lot of the "I need >> a widget" messages. >> >> James McKenzie ><snip> >James, > >I think you probably know my feelings abut forced subscription to this >list. I think it's a mistake because of the high volume of, to the OPs >(mainly newbies), largely irrelevant traffic. If I asked a question >about why my OOo version x Writer on Windows version y behaves as it >does or how to make it do xyz I'd be *very* irritated with dozens if not >hundreds of replies about Calc on Linux or Base on a Mac. Think what >you'd feel if it was a commercial Help Desk and you got all that >"garbage" in response to a simple question. I'd doubt the company's >competence and therefore the quality of its product.
I know your opinion on this. Commercial products do not allow open posting of messages to them. You are forced to go through the FAQs and possibly more. This is what our 'users' should go through. Also, the Readme makes it look like this is a commercial help desk, not a group of volunteers that support this product. > >There are many schemes where a user can submit a question via a web form >and request to be notified by e-mail whenever (and only when) anyone >responds to the question. This way the newbie only gets responses to >his/her question but can, by browsing the archives, read other people's >Q&As. Most of these schemes require "registration" in the sense that >they want to verify your e-mail address before thay allow you to post a >question. I have *no* objection to that. Many of the schemes require, >during the registration process, that you enter a string of letters >and/or numbers that are displayed graphically (non text, usually >distorted in some way). This is to avoid automated registration >programs. I have no objection to that either. I doubt it would be >complex to include a "let me see everything" option so that you and I >and the other volunteers would get all the questions as well as all the >answers. > I work with many products. Some are as large as Oracle (yes I am an Oracle DBA of sorts) to little products that cost $9.95. All of them require that you register and not only to get your e-mail address, but in some cases to make sure that you are a legitimate user of their product. We have a registration form too and it is in the product. >It might even be possible for me to say "let me see everything except >Mac stuff" or for someone to say "Write and Calc but not Impress or >Base". But that's possibly gilding the lily. You can filter mail any way you like. However, it does get rather tedious to see the same stuff in messages, time and time again like "Please respond to [EMAIL PROTECTED]'. This is a MAILING LIST.... > >Another benefit of using a web form is that we could *require* certain >info like OOo version number & Opsys/version which we seem to spend a >lot of time asking for because the OP doesn't give it. Web forums already exist and one was shut down for the Mac. There is a reason that mail lists exist. However, this list is abused and some folks from SUN have even shut down their subscriptions because of it. I am and will be for subscription to this list only after reviewing the FAQs. This is the best compromise and will allow us to help those with problems that they cannot solve by reading through the user guide or in the FAQs. It can also help us have enough time to improve documentation for this product to that of those commercial books that are written for and cost a great deal of money (I've seen what is basically an improved user's guide selling for about the equivelent of 15 pounds here in the U.S.) James McKenzie James McKenzie --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
