Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]

From	Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.user
Subject	Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]
Date	2021-08-08 23:40 +0200
Message-ID	<CJYGt-6PC-1@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References	(5 earlier) <CJK0N-6tu-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <CJL6x-7kV-3@gated-at.bofh.it> <CJNrH-cM-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <CJSUp-3vn-3@gated-at.bofh.it> <CJYdr-6Gj-1@gated-at.bofh.it>
Organization	linux.* mail to news gateway

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Hello,

On Sun, Aug 08, 2021 at 11:00:55PM +0200, tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
> On Sun, Aug 08, 2021 at 03:26:25PM +0000, Andy Smith wrote:
> > To be honest I don't think that mailing lists are a very good venue
> > for user support and I would these days prefer to direct people to a
> > Stack Overflow-like site [...]
> 
> I stringly disagree on that one. There's tooling and there's
> politeness, and they are, IMO, uncorrelated variables.

A lack of politeness isn't really debian-user's biggest problem. I
think debian-user's biggest problem is the lack of restraint
prolific posters have on posting every thought that comes into their
heads and debating such into the ground.

That sort of thing is not really possible on a question-answer site
as conciseness is rewarded in both question and answer.

> Some people are rather wired towards "forum style", others more
> towards "mail style" -- and I think that's why this kind of
> discussion tends to come up time and again.

I haven't advocated for a forum. What I've suggested is that a
discussion list tends to promote discussion, not user support.

> > The main reason why I see mailing lists as inappropriate for user
> > support is that there is a severe signal to noise ratio problem.
> 
> I think you'll get the same on unmoderated fora.

…which, again, I haven't suggested. I don't know why you keep going
back to the idea of web forums. It's obvious that a web discussion
forum would have the same problems as an email discussion list, if
it were unmoderated.

My only suggestion was a Stack Overflow-style question-answer site.
Those aren't discussion forums.

Off-topic discussion is specifically something which I suggest there
is too much of here.

Have a look at https://askubuntu.com/ to get some sort of idea,
since that is at least a Debian derivative. But as I said, it has
been tried before and I think won't/can't succeed without buy-in
from the project.

> I feel we aren't doing that bad, considering the volume.

It is perhaps not so bad for a general Debian community discussion
group, where you would go into it thinking that pretty much anything
goes, but the fact is that this is Debian's primary support venue
for users new and old.

I don't think that both audiences can be catered for in the same
place and I really think that we could and should do better.

Thanks,
Andy

-- 
https://bitfolk.com/ -- No-nonsense VPS hosting

Thread

How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian rao mohsin <kraomohsin2@gmail.com> - 2021-08-06 18:10 +0200
  Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-06 18:40 +0200
    Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian didier gaumet <didier.gaumet@gmail.com> - 2021-08-06 21:00 +0200
      Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Gunnar Gervin <dofeelok@gmail.com> - 2021-08-06 22:50 +0200
        Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-08-06 23:10 +0200
          Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 00:50 +0200
            Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-08-07 01:00 +0200
              Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 01:20 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-08-07 13:00 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-08-07 15:40 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 16:10 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@einval.com> - 2021-08-07 16:30 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 17:10 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-08-07 18:00 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-07 23:30 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-08-08 00:10 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive  Debian Brian Thompson <brian@hashvault.io> - 2021-08-08 00:10 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-08 08:00 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive  Debian Brian Thompson <brian@hashvault.io> - 2021-08-08 09:10 +0200
                On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-08 11:40 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-08 17:30 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Brian Thompson <brian@hashvault.io> - 2021-08-08 18:00 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Dan Ritter <dsr@randomstring.org> - 2021-08-08 21:00 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-08 22:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-08 23:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-08 23:40 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Weaver <weaver@riseup.net> - 2021-08-09 02:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-10 00:00 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Weaver <weaver@riseup.net> - 2021-08-10 01:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-10 03:00 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Weaver <weaver@riseup.net> - 2021-08-10 03:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-10 03:40 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-11 03:20 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-11 13:50 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] SDA <marathon.durandal@gmail.com> - 2021-08-16 14:30 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Jonathan Dowland <jon+debian-user@dow.land> - 2021-08-16 16:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] SDA <marathon.durandal@gmail.com> - 2021-08-17 17:00 +0200
                Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-08-17 21:00 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) Weaver <weaver@riseup.net> - 2021-08-17 21:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants (or most of them) rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-08-17 21:40 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) Terence <terence.john@gmail.com> - 2021-08-17 21:50 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@einval.com> - 2021-08-18 00:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants (or most of them) rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-08-18 00:50 +0200
                [WAY OFF-TOPIC] Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with  debian-user participants (or most of them) John Hasler <john@sugarbit.com> - 2021-08-18 01:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot  Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-08-18 01:10 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) Weaver <weaver@riseup.net> - 2021-08-18 01:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux  ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-19 07:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot  Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Jonathan Dowland <jon+debian-user@dow.land> - 2021-08-18 13:10 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot  Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Dan Ritter <dsr@randomstring.org> - 2021-08-18 13:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-08-18 14:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot  Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-19 22:20 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) deloptes <emanoil.kotsev@deloptes.org> - 2021-08-18 14:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot  Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-08-18 19:00 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux  ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-19 07:40 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) deloptes <emanoil.kotsev@deloptes.org> - 2021-08-19 08:20 +0200
                Flamebait [was: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user  participants ...] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-19 09:50 +0200
                Re: Flamebait [was: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with  debian-user participants ...] Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-19 10:40 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux  ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-19 10:30 +0200
                Re: Flamebait [was: Wishing for an off-topic mail list ...] Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-19 10:40 +0200
                Flamebait [was: Wishing for an off-topic mail list ...] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-19 10:40 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot  Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Jonathan Dowland <jon+debian-user@dow.land> - 2021-08-19 08:30 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) Weaver <weaver@riseup.net> - 2021-08-19 10:00 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-19 10:10 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-19 10:40 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) Jonathan Dowland <jon+debian-user@dow.land> - 2021-08-19 10:20 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user  participants (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was:  How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Jim Popovitch <jim@k4vqc.com> - 2021-08-19 15:10 +0200
                Re: Wishing for an off-topic mail list with debian-user participants  (or most of them) (was: Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux  ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian]) Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-19 17:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-09 07:30 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-10 00:20 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-10 01:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Weaver <weaver@riseup.net> - 2021-08-10 01:30 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-10 03:40 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Jonathan Dowland <jon+debian-user@dow.land> - 2021-08-09 09:40 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-09 11:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Jonathan Dowland <jon+debian-user@dow.land> - 2021-08-09 17:10 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-09 17:50 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images          Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Linux-Fan <Ma_Sys.ma@web.de> - 2021-08-10 03:00 +0200
                Re: On improving mailing list [was: How to Boot Linux ISO Images  Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian] Andy Smith <andy@strugglers.net> - 2021-08-10 04:10 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-08-07 17:10 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 17:10 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-08-07 17:30 +0200
              Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Keith Bainbridge <ke1thrboz@gmx.com> - 2021-08-07 02:50 +0200
                Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2021-08-09 15:30 +0200
        Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 00:50 +0200
      Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Gunnar Gervin <dofeelok@gmail.com> - 2021-08-06 23:00 +0200
      Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 00:50 +0200
        Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 01:00 +0200
      [OFFTPIC] How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian deloptes <emanoil.kotsev@deloptes.org> - 2021-08-07 08:30 +0200
        Re: [OFFTPIC] How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard  Drive Debian Keith Bainbridge <ke1thrboz@gmx.com> - 2021-08-07 09:50 +0200
          Changing subjects, forums and things. Drive Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-08-07 09:50 +0200
            Re: Changing subjects, forums and things. Drive Debian Keith Bainbridge <ke1thrboz@gmx.com> - 2021-08-07 13:40 +0200
              Re: Howto change of subjects [ was : Changing subjects, forums and  things. Drive Debian] Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-08-07 15:20 +0200
                Re: Howto change of subjects [ was : Changing subjects, forums and  things. Drive Debian] Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2021-08-07 21:50 +0200
    Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive Debian Keith Bainbridge <ke1thrboz@gmx.com> - 2021-08-07 02:50 +0200
  Re: How to Boot Linux ISO Images Directly From Your Hard Drive  Debian 007 <007@caiway.net> - 2021-08-06 20:20 +0200

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