[libreoffice-users] Re: Top Posting... Can we have an LO Mailing List Guidelines Page?

On 9/9/11 10:01 AM, Nuno J. Silva wrote:
> On 2011-09-09, Ken Springer wrote:
> > On 9/9/11 9:19 AM, Nuno J. Silva wrote:
> > > I guess some people who don't know the rules and aren't used to mailing
> > > lists (which includes looking for guidelines before posting) are people
> > > who would rather subscribe through a web interface.
> > >
> > > An idea would be, while keeping the usual mailing list stuff (the
> > > ability to subscribe by sending an email to a specified address and so
> > > on), having a web subscription interface that would drive the user
> > > through two or three slides concisely explaining some important rules,
> > > and how to unsubscribe.
> > >
> > > Of course /then/ some people would skip the slides...
> >
> > I've often thought of something similar, i.e. when a use
> > registers/signs up, that use automatically gets a document sent to the
> > user's registered email address.  And then have the user acknowledge
> > the user has received and understands the posting rules, netiquette,
> > etc..  Something similar to having to agree to a EULA when installing
> > software.  When the user gets his/her post pulled for not following
> > they guidelines (I'm assuming continuing errors in posting, not the
> > occasional error where the user may have had a simple brain lapse :-)
> > ) they can't claim they didn't know.
> >
> > And... You could create said document in LO!  ::grin::  But sending
> > the user a PDF would be better.  :-)
>
> No, the idea here is exactly to force users through small[1] explanations
> *before* they subscribe. That is, said web subscription wouldn't be made
> until the user finished the small "slideshow". And to avoid overdoing
> it, it should be in plain HTML.

I took your slide idea backwards.  :-)  I read it as *after* you 
subscribed, you would see the slides.  Having it before, as a simplified 
explanation of what is expected, is a great idea.

As is plain and simple HTML.  I took a introductory web class one time, 
and it was mentioned that too many pages get too "busy", making it hard 
to find the pertinent information you are looking for.

> [1] "small" means it shouldn't be the entire contents of RFC 1855 and
> additional guidelines, just a simple set of rules.

Agreed.

> (And actually, I think sending it as a PDF instead of a plain text
> e-mail would be a bad idea. If you're sending it by e-mail, why not just
> put it in the e-mail? PDFs aren't good for on-screen reading, anyway.)

I always take ideas like this, and view them from the perspective a new, 
inexperience user with a lack of knowledge about X.  That being said...

I would submit that any simple set of guidelines that would be included 
in your slides would be insufficient to provide the information to many, 
if not most, new users.  I don't think most of the younger users would 
have a clue as to how to properly write a post.

Until the new users are given *all* requirements of proper posting, you 
will be asking for problems and confusion.

I would include most if not all of the Netmeister's "Learn to Quote" 
pages in said document.  Too many times I've seen rules posted with 
absolutely no justification or explanation as to why the rule was put in 
effect.  When I've come up against this, I've usually gone away 
irritated to say the least.  But, when I know *why* the rule is in 
effect, it usually sheds new light on the reason for the rule.

Not only should we provide the new user with the rules, we should 
provide the reasons/justifications for the rules as an education for the 
inexperienced.  "Old salts" can simply skip the reading.

I learned more about posting to newsgroups from that article than I'd 
ever managed to learn before.  And while I've not been able to do much 
with newsgroups over the years, I have been using computers since the 
8-bit days.

Many people don't know how to use any mail client properly, would they 
even know how to deal with the email other than read it online?  And 
something that is simply put in the body of the email cannot be 
comprehensive, well formatted, or even professional looking.

By attaching a PDF file, you can put the information in a file that 
includes the LO "look and feel" of the documentation for LO.  Also, as 
most of the less knowledgeable users may have difficulty in printing 
and/or downloading the email itself, I suspect most know how to download 
attachments.  :-)

Alternatively, you could provide a link to the document that would 
automatically download it.


<snip>


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 6.0.2
Thunderbird 6.0.2
LibreOffice 3.3.3


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