Re: PHP FAQ (again)

On Wed, 3 Apr 2002, Justin French wrote: <?php snip(); ?> > When I first joined this group, I too was unaware of what was considered a > "good post" (and perhaps still, I don't know!!), but some form of welcome > email when people join the group, or a reminder email sent weekly which > "keeps the peace" on this list will not go astray. I think the key to a good post is be as specific as possible without being overly wordy, for want of a better expression. I skim this list every morning and there are too many vague posts made (by new users, granted) that I don't have to time to answer. If someone states their problems in a concise manner (and it is something I can help with), then I will gladly take a couple of minutes to point them in the right direction of a web resource (I hate reinventing the wheel) or I'll batter out a quick solution if possible. I would love to help more flailing PHP souls, but there aren't enough hours in the day to do so. I agree wholeheartedly that there should be some kind of FAQ and/or central solutions database where people can be pointed if they are covering old ground. I think that it would ease a lot of tension on the list if people had such a tool at their disposal, rather than greeting an honest cry for help with a mugfull of vitriol. :) > Some of the posts (including OT posts, ones with meaningless subject lines, > ones which ask insane questions, etc etc) in this group would be laughed at > by members of other programming language groups (Perl for example). Very true. > As PHP grows as a language, and as the community of users grows with it, > this list is going to become higher volume. The FAQs are going to become > more frequent, and the poor use / misuse of this list will grow with it. > > I can already see frustration growing in this list. Frustration leads to anger, anger leads to hate, the Dark Side is only around the corner! ;) I think there's frustration from the more experienced members (daft questions, covering the same ground over and over) but I can imagine the frustration of the new users when they don't get the help they so desperately require. After all, they probably feel that what they are asking is a legitimate question and yet all they receive in return is a couple of tons of napalm. > Sure, new users *could* find the archive by hunting, the *could* get flammed > for a bad post, poor question, or for not checking the manual first, but > wouldn't it be a smarter move long term for some sort of guideline/FAQ to be > incorporated into the list upon subscription, and perhaps on a weekly > basis?? Sounds like a good idea. > I'm happy to help in any way I can, but don't consider myself "guru" enough > to develop this from scratch. I'd be willing to chip in my 2p (soon to be 2 euros) worth to get this off the ground, but I couldn't commit to it on a full-time basis due to real-life commitments and a million personal projects that are crying out to be completed. Cheers, Nick Winfield.