[oclug] Re: oclug traffic

[Chris H]

On Wednesday 03 November 2004 11:13, Vic Gedris wrote:

>
> That's a good idea, but not necessary to make Dave's suggestion useful.

Thats fine I accept that. 

> There have been countless times where, particularly as a newbie "back in
> the day", I was reading the OCLUG list and someone posted about
> something they had just done.  I didn't search for the information, but
> it struck as one of those "You can do that?!?" emails.  Then I tried the
> same, and learned something.
>
> Also, when people post their solutions to a problem they had, it can
> generate very positive conversation, including suggestions on how to do
> it better, etc.

This is where I see the problem is, and as Rod has suggested reflective of an 
identity crisis. Most of you operate from a perspective of a linux user or 
OCLUG member. All these tool sets and procedures are known and well 
rehearsed. However if your target audience is non members, new members or 
OCLUG wishes to serve the greater community of those new to linux, (which it 
may not), then all these tools and procedures are simply not known. If you 
accept this observation and wish to make this a target audience and service 
for the sake of relevancy then the obligation remains with OCLUG to make its 
information available in terms or ways and means that the target audience 
needs, wants or understands. This is called 'a service model' and is 
independent of your personal skill set or accomplishments as the focus is 
outward not inward. To provide a service (and relevancy) you must meet and 
accommodate people/clients/customer/etc. on their terms and playing field, 
not yours. Then slowing move them into the intended direction. Not the other 
way around. 

> If someone is willing to set up a whiz-bang solution to create an OCLUG
> electronic library of sorts, that would be a great volunteer activity.
> But not everything has to be super high-tech for us to get some use out
> of it.

Nothing wiz bang about it. Tag such emails with [solutions] or [howto] and 
filter accordingly on your mail server. Now feed this data into a standard 
zope server and include a search module and your done....fully 
indexed/searchable pages. 

Done. Nothing high tech about it, rather a very simple mechanism that allows 
nubies to search a dedicated web page, or list responders to simply state in 
response to an inquiry...please have a look at 
http://solutions.oclug.on.ca/articles/solutions/# and your done. 

Both sides are happy. Less list noise for those who care about such things and 
a simple click to an answer/solution for those who do not yet know how to 
properly use a search function ala google or other. 

regards

/ch