Re: Sound card

Bob Kaup had written...
>>>....I finally got my sound card working. I asked for help from this
>>>email list and you were kind enough to answer with a suggestion to look
>>>into OSS. And a mention in email that you were not knowledgable on OSS BUT
>>>PERHAPS OTHERS ON EMAIL LIST WERE.
Robert Brown had written...
>>I did have a couple of people in mind when I wrote that. I know one person
>>in particular who is usually very good about providing answers, but has been
>>really involved lately with several things that have taken him away from
>>KLUG business.
Bruce Smith wrote...
>Also, has anyone considered the people here who've used OSS may not have
>any knowledge about that particular sound card?  (I've never used either)
This is also quite possible. Often it is better to offer NO advice (when it 
may well be misleading), than fragmentary "suggestions", unless they are 
labeled as such. I can tell you there are topics where I have strong opinions,
but others where I have none at all, largely due to my ignorance in those
areas. I don't think I'm all that unusual in this regard.

Bruce Smith wrote...
>I try to answer what questions I can, but I don't have time to research 
>all the questions that come across this list which I don't know.  Sorry!
I don't think ANY one person does, but as a group it's clear we offer a great 
deal of breadth. By combining our expertise in different fields and experience,
we produce a knowledge base greater than any of us can develop on our own.

Bob Kaup had written...
>>>And perhaps they would answer with information. 0000 was the response.
>>>Ok I guess since I am a home user and a newbie my question may have been
>>>below there elevated interest.

Robert Brown had written...
>>I don't think it's a question of anyone being "below" someone else's interest
>>level. I have found that during the holiday season, some people are called to
>>other things,....As a group, we've fielded almost 5,000 questions this
>>year, and I'm grateful for the response we've seen.
>I also think we've had a very good success rate answering questions on 
>this list, but the fact is that we don't have all the answers.
>IMO, we shouldn't have to make excuses for it either.
True enough, no need for "excuses". I don't think anyone has offered any. I am
pointing out that KLUG (or any other group) is not some well-oiled machine which
spews forth the right answer every time, on demand. It is no excuse that we all
understand and accept this.

Bob Kaup had written...
>>>I guess time to suggest that since this email list is getting for
>>>pro linux users maybe it is time to start an email list for newbies like
>>>myself. I really believe this is the wave of the future for linux.
>>This is an idea I have been pushing for some time, and with little avail.

Robert Brown had written...
>>perhaps I will simply SET IT UP, and see what happens....

Bruce Smith wrote...
>It may be a good idea if misery loves company . . . . 
>but without experienced Linux users contributing, I don't know how useful 
>it will be.  The idea is to get rid of us "pro linux users", right?
I don't believe so, and I do not think that is what anyone means here. Let's
get a grasp on this. No one has ever suggested (or is now), that we create a
place for novice users to simply exchange email about their own problems,
or wallow in their own ignorance. What has been suggested, on several occa-
sions, is that we set up a mailing list that is MENTORED by more advanced 
users, and where novice users can ask questions without distributing thier 
questions to everyone on the KLUG mailing list.

The KLUG list itself can be thought of as including EVERYONE in KLUG, and many
of those people may not want to see a lot of traffic from novices. Not only
has Bob Kaup and others asked about a mailing list for novice-level users
(which would have mentors monitoring and answering questions), but I received 
notices from people asking if there's some to reduce traffic about questions 
they are not interested in, nor can answer.

Both points of view have some merit; the solution is to form another mailing
list focussing on novice-level questions and answers. Over the longer term,
I see the the basic KLUG mailing list becomes common ground for all of us,
while selected subgroups can conduct specialized threads of conversation.

What I would like to do is ask the whole group to write to me if:

1. You would like to be a mentor.

2. If you would join te group because you consider yourself to be a novice.

I'll wait a reasonable amount of time (about a week) and accumulate responses, 
then look at the results.

I look forward to responses, whether you are a mentor or novice.

                                                          Regards,
                                                          ---> RGB <---