Re: Sound card

[awilliam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

>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.

I doubt it,  we answer PPP questions, and there could be little I am 
less interested in than PPP.

>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.

Under certain circumstances, yes.

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

No.

> 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.

One of the problems (and frustrations) with newbie questions is often 
innacurate or insufficient information (maybe through no fault of the 
poster.)  If "newbie" questions were submitted via a web form that 
required them to enter lots of general information along with the text 
of there question, and it was posted to the list in a consistent and 
LEGIBLE format,  there would be more people, including me, more open 
to answering more "newbie" questions.