[Linux-aus] this list

[Adam Nielsen]

> Past discussions here have had a conclusion that using this list for general 
> Linux support is OK.  But the majority of traffic here isn't about that which 
> will be a disincentive to people asking such questions.
> 
> Should we have a separate list for Linux support in Australia to be welcoming 
> to such queries?

Personally while I don't mind the odd support question, I'd probably
unsubscribe if the list became support heavy, and I wouldn't subscribe
to a new support list.  I'm already on specific lists for things I'm
interested in (usually the app's own support list) and for OS level
stuff I use the web forums provided by the distros I use.  Stack
Exchange might not be open source but at least the user content is
Creative Commons so I have no issue using that as one of many other
alternatives.

The problem with having a support list with as generic a subject as
"Linux" means you'll end up with questions about distros you know
nothing about, programs you would never use, problems you can't help
with, etc. so you'll just end up with a lot of noise.

Good mailing lists have a very narrow focus to keep the content
relevant to all subscribers, otherwise you risk people unsubscribing
because there are too many messages they find irrelevant - case in
point, all the Python conference announcements that were posted here for
a while until we asked them to keep it down to one or two messages each
season as they were only relevant to a small minority of the list.

To be clear, I don't want to discourage you from improving things, I'm
just offering a different viewpoint that might help explain some of the
silence in response to the proposals.

> I received more replies to my message about hands-on training from the luv-
> main list than this list in spite of this list having more than twice as many 
> subscribers.  Does that mean this list isn't reaching the sort of people who 
> want to learn about how to configure Postfix etc and is mostly about the sort 
> of people who are interested in LCA CFPs?  That isn't a bad thing, but if so 
> then we probably need a separate list for the people who aren't planning to 
> present at LCA.

For the record, I'm on this list because it's the only place I hear
about larger, often political issues affecting Linux and the free
software ecosystem in general, usually specific to Australia, such as
the recent messages about upcoming changes to the right-to-repair laws
that may change the way we use embedded Linux in appliances.  I'm less
interested in the LCA CFPs.  And I already run Exim :)

> Finally we have the lugcomms list which we tried to resurrect months ago.  One 
> possibility would be to repurpose that list for announcements to general LUG 
> members which members of each of the LUGs could forward to their groups by 
> whatever method is most appropriate.

I know little of these LUGs you speak of except that you mention LUV a
lot, which I assume is one of them.  (My point being maybe a reminder
is due for the benefit of new members and those such as myself who have
forgotten.)

Cheers,
Adam.