Asp Forum - ettiquette question

Chris Pine

4/15/2005 5:49:00 AM

How do you spell ettiquette? No, no, that's not really my question...

Every time my tutorial gets mentioned on the ML (usually by me, but,
flatteringly enough, not always :), I get a definite spike in my inbox
of people saying thanks, or asking me questions about various aspects
of Ruby or programming. (And I answer *every* email I get, in as
helpful a way as I can, I am proud to state... though this takes up at
least several hours a week if the tutorial was mentioned that week!)

Now my tutorial has been around for a while, but people who are new
are, of course, not going to know that. So my question:

How would people feel if every other week (or every month?) I made an
[ANN] announcement on the ML? I really don't have anything new to
announce, and it would, in general, be annoying for someone to keep
announcing the same project over and over again with no real change.
However, this seems like a special case, since this is specifically
aimed at people who are *new* to the ML. And, as I said, I only ask
because I really do notice a spike every time it is mentioned.

I know it's not the canonical "ruby for non-programmers" tutorial out
there (though I'd like to apply for the position, if it exists :).
But it is the only (completed) thing of its kind. (I would not
consider why's Poignant Guide to be of the same kind; it's in a class
all its own! I think it serves a very different need, and a different
class of people. For example, I doubt any experienced Rubyists would
get much out of my tutorial, much less find it entertaining, but I
can't even read the Poignant Guide without my inhaler! Because, you
know, it's funny. And I have asthma.)

So let me know what you think, and *please* don't be shy about saying
that you don't think it's ok.

Thanks, all,

Chris

25 Answers

Jon Raphaelson

4/15/2005 6:03:00 AM

Actually I think something like this would be a good idea, but it could
be extended a bit. Maybe there could be something like an "intro to the
ML" [ANN] every month, that could be something like an FAQ for people
who are new. So you could have links to ruby-docs, why's guide, your
LearnToProgram, and answer questions like where to go to find specific
rails info, and any other types of newbie questions that come up. I know
that I would have loved something like this 6 months ago (and probably
would learn a few things now too).

Then also, it could act something like the ruby weekly where new faq's
could get added to the list every month.

My 2c.

Jon Raphaelson

Chris Pine wrote:
> How do you spell ettiquette? No, no, that's not really my question...
>
> Every time my tutorial gets mentioned on the ML (usually by me, but,
> flatteringly enough, not always :), I get a definite spike in my inbox
> of people saying thanks, or asking me questions about various aspects
> of Ruby or programming. (And I answer *every* email I get, in as
> helpful a way as I can, I am proud to state... though this takes up at
> least several hours a week if the tutorial was mentioned that week!)
>
> Now my tutorial has been around for a while, but people who are new
> are, of course, not going to know that. So my question:
>
> How would people feel if every other week (or every month?) I made an
> [ANN] announcement on the ML? I really don't have anything new to
> announce, and it would, in general, be annoying for someone to keep
> announcing the same project over and over again with no real change.
> However, this seems like a special case, since this is specifically
> aimed at people who are *new* to the ML. And, as I said, I only ask
> because I really do notice a spike every time it is mentioned.
>
> I know it's not the canonical "ruby for non-programmers" tutorial out
> there (though I'd like to apply for the position, if it exists :).
> But it is the only (completed) thing of its kind. (I would not
> consider why's Poignant Guide to be of the same kind; it's in a class
> all its own! I think it serves a very different need, and a different
> class of people. For example, I doubt any experienced Rubyists would
> get much out of my tutorial, much less find it entertaining, but I
> can't even read the Poignant Guide without my inhaler! Because, you
> know, it's funny. And I have asthma.)
>
> So let me know what you think, and *please* don't be shy about saying
> that you don't think it's ok.
>
> Thanks, all,
>
> Chris
>
>

Jeremy Henty

4/15/2005 6:38:00 AM

In article <ab6e9e69050414224814bd5951@mail.gmail.com>, Chris Pine wrote:

> How would people feel if every other week (or every month?) I made
> an [ANN] announcement on the ML? ... this seems like a special
> case, since this is specifically aimed at people who are *new* to
> the ML.

Seems fine to me. It's really just a variation of the monthly
"Welcome to this newsgroup" postings that lots of groups have and
no-one thinks those are inappropriate. I'd expect the posting to be
clearly marked as an announcement, but given that, no problems. I'd
think such an posting should be at most monthly, but I'd happily bend
that rule if it encouraged more people to look at Ruby.

Cheers,

Jeremy Henty

Nikolai Weibull

4/15/2005 8:56:00 AM

Chris Pine, April 15:

> How would people feel if every other week (or every month?) I made an
> [ANN] announcement on the ML?

Not great. This is something that goes into something more permanent
than a mailing-list thread. Put a link to it on the RubyGarden Wiki,
ask for it to be included in the documentation section on ruby-doc.org
and ruby-lang.org, ask for it to be included in the welcome message to
this mailing list,
nikolai

--
Nikolai Weibull: now available free of charge at http:/...!
Born in Chicago, IL USA; currently residing in Gothenburg, Sweden.
main(){printf(&linux["\021%six\012\0"],(linux)["have"]+"fun"-97);}

Robert Klemme

4/15/2005 11:36:00 AM

Hi Chris,

thanks for asking! Although I think it's a good idea to do something
regular, I'd prefer a single weekly posting which includes this as well as
probably other useful pointers. That way we save bandwidth and bundle
useful info at the same time. Now someone has to decide what should go in
there... :-)

Kind regards

robert

"Chris Pine" <glyconis@gmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:ab6e9e69050414224814bd5951@mail.gmail.com...
> How do you spell ettiquette? No, no, that's not really my question...
>
> Every time my tutorial gets mentioned on the ML (usually by me, but,
> flatteringly enough, not always :), I get a definite spike in my inbox
> of people saying thanks, or asking me questions about various aspects
> of Ruby or programming. (And I answer *every* email I get, in as
> helpful a way as I can, I am proud to state... though this takes up at
> least several hours a week if the tutorial was mentioned that week!)
>
> Now my tutorial has been around for a while, but people who are new
> are, of course, not going to know that. So my question:
>
> How would people feel if every other week (or every month?) I made an
> [ANN] announcement on the ML? I really don't have anything new to
> announce, and it would, in general, be annoying for someone to keep
> announcing the same project over and over again with no real change.
> However, this seems like a special case, since this is specifically
> aimed at people who are *new* to the ML. And, as I said, I only ask
> because I really do notice a spike every time it is mentioned.
>
> I know it's not the canonical "ruby for non-programmers" tutorial out
> there (though I'd like to apply for the position, if it exists :).
> But it is the only (completed) thing of its kind. (I would not
> consider why's Poignant Guide to be of the same kind; it's in a class
> all its own! I think it serves a very different need, and a different
> class of people. For example, I doubt any experienced Rubyists would
> get much out of my tutorial, much less find it entertaining, but I
> can't even read the Poignant Guide without my inhaler! Because, you
> know, it's funny. And I have asthma.)
>
> So let me know what you think, and *please* don't be shy about saying
> that you don't think it's ok.
>
> Thanks, all,
>
> Chris
>
>
>

Gene Tani

4/15/2005 12:07:00 PM

Ruby-forum had a humongous collection of tutorials, pocket references,
object/class hierarchy graphs etc. in a sticky thread, very convenient.
Alexey: anytime soon?

And, yeah, a link on the main ruby-lang.org page would be good.

Mark Roseman

4/15/2005 1:07:00 PM

"Robert Klemme" <bob.news@gmx.net> wrote:
> thanks for asking! Although I think it's a good idea to do something
> regular, I'd prefer a single weekly posting which includes this as well as
> probably other useful pointers. That way we save bandwidth and bundle
> useful info at the same time. Now someone has to decide what should go in
> there... :-)

Tcl and Python newsgroups have a weekly post, containing a dozen or so
"highlights" from the newsgroup (hand-selected by a rotating editor),
along with a big block of fairly static resources/tutorial links. Good
way both for people who can't follow every post to catch the big or
interesting things, as well as gives you this kind of regularly posted
list.

Search for "Tcl-URL!" or "Python-URL!" in Google groups.

This would be great to have for Ruby.

Mark

James Gray

4/15/2005 1:25:00 PM

On Apr 15, 2005, at 8:09 AM, Mark Roseman wrote:

> Tcl and Python newsgroups have a weekly post, containing a dozen or so
> "highlights" from the newsgroup (hand-selected by a rotating editor),
> along with a big block of fairly static resources/tutorial links. Good
> way both for people who can't follow every post to catch the big or
> interesting things, as well as gives you this kind of regularly posted
> list.
>
> Search for "Tcl-URL!" or "Python-URL!" in Google groups.
>
> This would be great to have for Ruby.

I agree, but isn't this what our FAQ is for?

Hal, your thoughts?

James Edward Gray II

Hal E. Fulton

4/15/2005 1:36:00 PM

Chris Pine wrote:
>
> How would people feel if every other week (or every month?) I made an
> [ANN] announcement on the ML? I really don't have anything new to
> announce, and it would, in general, be annoying for someone to keep
> announcing the same project over and over again with no real change.
> However, this seems like a special case, since this is specifically
> aimed at people who are *new* to the ML. And, as I said, I only ask
> because I really do notice a spike every time it is mentioned.
>

Isn't there some kind of email that is generated when a person
joins the mailing list? If so, that would be a good place for
this.

Only problem is that it wouldn't catch the people reading via
the newsgroup.

Would it help to put it in the comp.lang.ruby FAQ? I don't think
it's currently there.

Hal

Curt Hibbs

4/15/2005 2:04:00 PM

Hal Fulton wrote:
> Chris Pine wrote:
>
>>
>> How would people feel if every other week (or every month?) I made an
>> [ANN] announcement on the ML? I really don't have anything new to
>> announce, and it would, in general, be annoying for someone to keep
>> announcing the same project over and over again with no real change.
>> However, this seems like a special case, since this is specifically
>> aimed at people who are *new* to the ML. And, as I said, I only ask
>> because I really do notice a spike every time it is mentioned.
>>
>
> Isn't there some kind of email that is generated when a person
> joins the mailing list? If so, that would be a good place for
> this.
>
> Only problem is that it wouldn't catch the people reading via
> the newsgroup.
>
> Would it help to put it in the comp.lang.ruby FAQ? I don't think
> it's currently there.

I still don't think this is good enough.

I think it would be an excellent idea to have a weekly posting (similar
to Ruby Weekly News) that would contain annotated pointers to Ruby
Resources.

I would maintain this on a RubyGarden page so that:
- The email posting would be easy to create
from the contents of the wiki page.
- It could be linked from the FAQ and newsgroup
FAQ (or anyone else that wanted to link
to it.

Curt

Eustaquio Rangel de Oliveira Jr.

4/15/2005 2:47:00 PM

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Hi.

| And, yeah, a link on the main ruby-lang.org page would be good.

Btw, who is the webmaster there? I sent the link of my Portuguese Ruby
tutorial to put there but there was no update. :-)

[]'s

- ----------------------------
Eustáquio "TaQ" Rangel
eustaquiorangel@yahoo.com
http://b...
Usuário GNU/Linux no. 224050
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comp.lang.ruby

ettiquette question