Request for comments about the Ubuntu Signpost

[Dougie Richardson]

Hi Andrew

2009/7/11 Andrew Sayers <andrew-bugs.launchpad.net at pileofstuff.org>:
> Hi Dougie,
>
> Before I talk about specific points, I'd like to bore you with a bit of
> theory:

[snip]

Ah I see, this is more akin to how support phone calls are triaged.  I
missed that you were centering around IRC.  Still, I feel we're in
much the same area as I often wonder if anyone is reading what I'm
writing and if they're searching for what I'm not.

> One of the issues brought up in a post to ubuntu-devel-discuss[4] was
> about people becoming your "new best friend".  That is, if you answer
> somebody's question, some people will start looking at you as the first
> place to go when they have any problem at all.  Different groups deal
> with that issue in different ways - for example, #ubuntu has made it the
> purpose of the channel to answer any possible question.  I personally
> plan to deal with the issue by avoiding giving any actual answers, but
> instead pointing people in the direction of help.

Yes, I've encountered that on the forums which is why my IM names were removed.

> My personal interest in the signpost is to make sure that everyone asks
> the right questions in the right places.  If I'll be manning
> #ubuntu-signpost much of the time, I'd rather not be expected to answer
> questions about using the Swahili localisation of Avidemux.

How do you plan to balance experience/knowledge/enthusiasm amongst
those directing questions?

> How would you feel about me writing up the above on a wiki page, which
> people could then edit as our understanding of the model improves?

Yes, I'd be happy too - I'll do it tonight or tomorrow as I'm working today.

Regards,

Dougie Richardson
http://www.lynxworks.eu/
dougierichardson at ubuntu.com