cdshaw@alberta.UUCP (Chris Shaw) (04/02/88)
A couple of days ago I half-proposed the idea of a subgroup for comp.graphics called comp.graphics.newuser. I am now seeking debate on how it would work. This is NOT a solicitation for votes under the Usenet rules, since we MUST know what is going on before voting occurs. The Intent: The purpose of the newsgroup is to deflect neophyte questions from the Terribly Serious Business that goes on in comp.graphics. In particular, the idea is that this new group would be a repository of information and techniques that are germane to computer graphics, but at the same time very basic in nature. It is not the intention that this group stifle discussions of graphics algorithms in general, since that is the meat of what goes on in comp.graphics. The intention IS to stop the endless repetition of questions like "how do I draw a line quickly?", "What's a raster?", "Why Red Green Blue, not Red Yellow Blue?".. and so on. The problem is that many neophyte readers find asking the net much easier than reading the appropriate reference. Sometimes this is because the neophyte is lazy, other times because he is otherwise unable to get the answers out of a book, or is unaware of the literature. The Mechanics: Now that we have the idea, how do we do it? I propose the creation of a moderated newsgroup. Moderated because the moderator can be the storehouse of information. Newsgroup because a mailing list defeats the main purpose of this proposed newsgroup. The moderator should perhaps be a SIGGRAPH person, since s/he would know or be able to find the answers to the semi-obscure questions. The moderator would collect the answers to the various questions, and would compile a standard reply to each of the "classics" that come up all the time. When a classic question coes around, the classic reply would be posted/ mailed. Each classic reply should contain specific references to texts, including page numbers, and so on. Obviously, the moderator must commit time to reading the mail that comes in, and to posting both the question and the answer. Another idea is that this group could be semi-moderated: Anyone can post, but the "moderator" has the list of standard answers. This reduces the workload to just reply-generation. Caveat: I can't moderate for two reasons: 1) I don't feel technically competent enough. 2) I'm not likely to be at this site long enough. I'v had a couple of positive responses to a vaguer version of this proposal. What do you guys/gals think? -- Chris Shaw cdshaw@alberta.UUCP (via watmath, ihnp4 or ubc-vision) University of Alberta CatchPhrase: Bogus as HELL !
david@ms.uky.edu (David Herron -- One of the vertebrae) (04/05/88)
I think that a better way to solve the problem is for someone in the
newsgroup to compile a list of the Commonly Asked Questions and to
post it every month. It's real easy to set up an automated posting,
simply something like:
for i in monthly/posting.*; do
inews -h <$i
done
with a directory "monthly" and files named "posting.*" contain news
articles.
I have been considering doing exactly this for comp.mail.misc.
--
<---- David Herron -- The E-Mail guy <david@ms.uky.edu>
<---- or: {rutgers,uunet,cbosgd}!ukma!david, david@UKMA.BITNET
<----
<---- I don't have a Blue bone in my body!james@sunne.Sun.COM (04/05/88)
Jay Garvin makes several points that I agree with. I see no reason why people should be intimidated out of asking apparently simple questions here. Besides, if given a choice between having this group filled with simplistic questions or having it filled with a lot of arrogant flames saying "you should have put that in ...newuser", I'll take the questions anytime. ----James James Triplett Sun Microsystems, Lexington, Mass jtriplett@sun.com ...sun!sunne!james
doug@eris (Doug Merritt) (04/05/88)
In article <8789@e.ms.uky.edu> david@ms.uky.edu (David Herron -- A vertebrae) writes: >I think that a better way to solve the problem is for someone in the >newsgroup to compile a list of the Commonly Asked Questions and to >post it every month. It's real easy to set up an automated posting, I like this idea; minimum fuss, no discrimination, gets the questions answered regularly. There's already a (distributed) body of text we could use; for instance, I just wrote an explanation of spatial lowpass filtering in response to a question about smoothing enlarged bitmap fonts in the amiga newsgroup. Other previously posted articles could be used for other commonly asked questions, with revisions as suggested by readers. Who's got copies of such things saved? (I'm sure I'm not the only packrat on the net!) If we find a volunteer to do the monthly posting, the rest follows from there. We could always go to a "comp.graphics.tutorials" later if desired. Doug Merritt doug@mica.berkeley.edu (ucbvax!mica!doug) or ucbvax!unisoft!certes!doug
chip@ateng.UUCP (Chip Salzenberg) (04/05/88)
Good idea -- but let's call it "comp.graphics.questions".
<Uh oh! Someone will think of "comp.graphics.wizards".> [Shhh!] :-)
--
Chip Salzenberg "chip@ateng.UU.NET" or "codas!ateng!chip"
A T Engineering My employer's opinions are a trade secret.
"Anything that works is better than anything that doesn't."news@entire.UUCP (Usenet News Administrator) (04/05/88)
In article <1182@pembina.UUCP>, cdshaw@alberta.UUCP (Chris Shaw) writes: > A couple of days ago I half-proposed the idea of a subgroup for comp.graphics > called comp.graphics.newuser. I am now seeking debate on how it would work. In newusers there is a posting that goes out on the net. This posting contains answers to the "most asked questions" on the net. I recommend that you or the group readers at large collect the "classic" questions and the answers with good references, and on a monthly basis, or as often as necessary, repost the article in comp.graphics or mail it to the neophyte. Another possibilty is to use a "longer" than normal expire header on the posting, say one month, and then repost the newer one with an Superceeds header. This way when ever a neophyte selects this group this "classics" posting would always be there to read. > The purpose of the newsgroup is to deflect neophyte questions from the > Terribly Serious Business that goes on in comp.graphics. In particular, the An important part of any "Terribly Serious Business" is the teaching or helping of a neophyte, no question is stupid it is simply mis-guided. Remember we were all a neophyte at one time :-), it helps to make it a pleasent transition. > It is not the intention that this group stifle discussions of graphics > algorithms in general, since that is the meat of what goes on in > comp.graphics. The intention IS to stop the endless repetition of questions My above "soapbox" speach was not a flame. I agree with you in "It is not the intention that this group stifle....", it's just important to direct "endless" questions, and I think that this can be done within the scope of the existing newsgroup. -- John A. Gallant UUCP: {..}!rochester!rocksanne!entire!news Defacto Usenet News Administrator Entire Inc./Xerox Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. Mark Twain
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (04/07/88)
In article <215@ateng.UUCP> chip@ateng.UUCP (Chip Salzenberg) writes: >Good idea -- but let's call it "comp.graphics.questions". > no it's not for all questions, just the repetative ones new users (justly) ask. over and over and over now if you called it comp.graphics.questions.that.get.asked.a.lot you'd have a point. -- Remember me. Row my boat. richard@gryphon.CTS.COM rutgers!marque!gryphon!richard