[ic] Newbie has questions and needs some help

Ed LaFrance interchange-users@icdevgroup.org
Wed Sep 11 11:44:01 2002


At 08:59 AM 09/11/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Winning Web Works wrote:
>
> > Thanks Patrick, I am new to this list and have been feeling afraid to post
> > anything for fear of being blasted out of the water.  I think 
> interchange is
> > an amazing thing and would be proud if I could be as capable with it as 
> some
> > on this list.
> >
> > Angela
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Patrick Maddox" <snapdad@iworktoomuch.com>
> > To: <interchange-users@icdevgroup.org>
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2002 4:50 PM
> > Subject: RE: [ic] Newbie has questions and needs some help
> >
> > >
> > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > > Hash: SHA1
> > >
> > > Reading through this thread makes me very sad.  The documentation,
> > > while it may not suck, does leave something to be desired in the area
> > > of intuitiveness.  The mailing list is a great resource, but the
> > > arrogance expressed by many people, A) doesn't address the problems
> > > the user has, and B) seem only to be posted to inflate some egos.
> > >
> > > A new user to the package receiving such a response from the list
> > > will generally be discouraged and move on to a less complex and less
> > > feature rich package, and while many would say this is probably a
> > > good thing, it does nothing to increase the exposure the software
> > > has, and nothing to encourage new developers.
> > >
> > > Along the lines of this thread, would it be possible for some of the
> > > more learned members of the list reply back with references to basic
> > > tutorials (if they exhist) outside of the realm of RTFM, because
> > > plainly this is what the user was trying to do and wasn't finding TFM
> > > intuitive enough to lead him to an answer.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > ./Patrick
> > >
> > > <<edit>>
> > > [mailto:interchange-users-admin@icdevgroup.org]On Behalf Of
> > > AirDelights.com
> > > Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 2:44 PM
> > > To: interchange-users@icdevgroup.org
> > > Subject: Re: [ic] Newbie has questions and needs some help
> > >
> > >
> > > learn html and you should have no problems!!
> > >
> > > <<snip>>
> > >
> > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > > Version: PGP 7.0.4
> > >
> > > iQA/AwUBPX6FKqOmxYpNjzJHEQKYsACeO/24Bpa8HR//0rILc5PRPC2KkYIAoPfR
> > > 5B7Kj2yqFQDy2w7LgZxZZKC2
> > > =7T6o
> > > -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > interchange-users mailing list
> > > interchange-users@icdevgroup.org
> > > http://www.icdevgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/interchange-users
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > interchange-users mailing list
> > interchange-users@icdevgroup.org
> > http://www.icdevgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/interchange-users
>
>I'm afraid this is the reaction of most new user's to this list. The 
>product is
>often passed over due to the inability of those who have deemed themselves the
>experts to post mature and/or meaningful responses. If you monitor the list
>long enough those that really care about answering your questions (usually the
>one's that really know the product) will at least guide to to a solution. As
>for those EGOS, They're only here to help inflate each other......

It could just as easily be said that the reason some more experienced users 
on this list have occasionally posted curt responses to questions is that 
they have grown weary of those who seem to feel that they are entitled to 
answers, that they shouldn't have to use the docs or the maillist archives, 
and that generally they should not have to invest the time to figure it out 
on there own. I've been on this list since 1998 and I have seen at least as 
many as those kinds of posts as those brusque non-answers that scare people 
off. Neither one is right.

I'm sure we can all get along, people. It bothers me to read that others 
are afraid to post questions because they may get an embarrassing flame as 
an answer. That really does not happen as often as you think, and the 
offenders get slapped down pretty fast by the community when they step out 
of line. You may only get a link to a section of the docs, or a maillist 
article, as a reply, but that is the nature of this product; sometimes the 
best lessons are the ones learned by oneself. Most of the time, you will 
get a meaningful response that leads directly to the solution, often more 
than one - and this is all free, other than the investment of your time.

- Ed L.


===============================================================
Increase profits from your Interchange store...
http://www.newmediaems.com/cgi-bin/nm/software_fus.html
===============================================================
New Media E.M.S.               Software Solutions for Business
463 Main St., Suite D          eCommerce | Consulting | Hosting
Placerville, CA  95667         edl@newmediaems.com
(530) 622-9421                 http://www.newmediaems.com
(866) 519-4680 Toll-Free       (530) 622-9426 Fax
===============================================================