As a new user of Open Office I have seen the same six or seven questions
coming up over and over again. My proposal, for what it is worth, would be
while the readme and other documentation is being prepared, that I write
answers to the six most popular questions and put the answers in a PDF file.
I would circulate the PDF file to everyone in the forum for their comments.
This would enable us to stop typing up the trivial answers and concentrate
on any problems with open office that arise. If this seems a reasonable
course of action I will start it on Monday.
Some current popular questions
Is Open Office really free to any user?
How do I open an application other than write
How do I send an open office document to a user with Word
How do I install new languages into open office
How do I run office on my Mac
(I am in China so currently I am wading through the last 4 days of e-mails,
after the earthquake off Taiwan severed some fibre-optic cables on Boxing
Day)
Thanks
Rob
-----Original Message-----
From: William Case [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: 06 January 2007 21:54
To: James Mckenzie
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [users] Forced Registration For This List (was Re:
[users]Return receipts)
Hi;
I would like to jump into this debate. I think the mailing list is
missing an opportunity here.
On Fri, 2007-01-05 at 19:56 -0700, James Mckenzie wrote:
> Arnold:
>
> Sadly, I disagree with both Harold and you. Forced registration will make
users read through the archives prior to
> joining the list. I've answered over fifty times the same question on
installing X11 on the Mac so that OpenOffice.org
> will function.
Yes and hopefully there will continue to be new users. And, many of
them may not know how to get started, particularly, if they come from
solely Windows or OSX environments.
My experience with volunteer groups has been to let the experienced
members hang back when it comes to repetitive or simple questions and
encourage others to tackle responding. In those cases, the normal
monitors take on the role as mentors to new responders, encouraging and
correcting how the the request for help was handled. Corrections could
be done on the mailing list or if necessary a direct post to the newer
responder.
Repeat questions need not be boring, but can be useful. To me,
convoluted backwards beginner's questions are a sign of someone who
needs real help not a sign of stupidity simply to be gotten rid of -- or
laziness. For someone new to OpenOffice who may be dieing of frustration
and unable to ask a rudimentary question because they don't even know
where to start, a forced trip down archive alley could be the straw that
sends back to something they know -- like MicroSoft Office.
> If a user finds a new problem, then they will take the time to join.
Having participated on open lists that
> 'suddenly' went closed because of the high volume of trash traffic and
repeat messages. I hold my position. Also,
> the Readme needs a real rewrite, not just a glossing over...
>
> James McKenzie
>
[snip]
--
Regards Bill
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