Looking for good souls

  Ron,

> There already is one http://groups.yahoo.com/group/squeaknewbie/ 
n> I signed up a while back when I saw it so I could help newbies if they had
> questions.  I asked on the list if anyone was using the group and if anyone
> needed help.  I got a response that said we get mostly spam and no
> questions.  I'm still subscribed to it just incase someone stumbles on it
> and asks a question.

  There is a link to http://www.squeak.com from the top page...  It
doesn't look relevant.  Do you know who maintains the page?

-- Yoshiki

Yoshiki,

It says its run by Ed Grant.  Looks like [hidden email].  Ed has a web
site which appears to be a forwarding link to some vacation site.  

It's been a long time and so far there is no traffic, but if I could stumble
across it so could others.   I just checked and there have been a few new
members since I signed up, but still no messages.

Ron

I think the length and varying tone of this thread has proven than  
you need a more inviting source for beginners. :)

And dare I say it, but forums could be used also.  Apple's discussion  
forums are quite successful simply because they don't use email.    
Beginners can search, peruse and respond then they feel like it  
without having their email fill up with, hmm, 46,000 emails over 3  
years :)

Forums require much more participation  by the helpers, as they are  
nowhere near as convenient to read serially, but the software I use  
can be set up to email moderators with every post.

Also the Apple board do not have any responses by Apple employees,  
rather it is wholly users helping users.  They have reward systems  
such as ranks, post counts, etc.  Some users eat this up.  Thus you  
prime the pump with the "experts" and then then groom helpers over time.

Unmoderated forums can also become a huge mess of content. That is  
the downside of having content archived automatically.  Compared to  
the current method of squeak-dev archives (not searchable online from  
what I can tell, just downloadable in chunks), though, the cost of  
too much content might be outweighed.

Plus you can moderate forums as well.

Toss in a "Lounge" an all of the off-topic stuff immediately has a home.

Anywho, had to throw that into the mix.  Sometimes helping a  
different set of people requires different tools, so something to  
ponder on!

Steve

  Ron,

> It says its run by Ed Grant.  Looks like [hidden email].  Ed has a web
> site which appears to be a forwarding link to some vacation site.  
>
> It's been a long time and so far there is no traffic, but if I could stumble
> across it so could others.   I just checked and there have been a few new
> members since I signed up, but still no messages.

  Thank you so much for doing that.  But now, we have another mailing
list.  May be directing people to the new one from the yahoo one, or possibly
close it might make sense.  I'll ask Ed about it.

  Thank you again...

-- Yoshiki

stephane ducasse wrote:

Hi all

I would like to have a list for newbies: squeak-starters
because (I see it now with my students) newbies are really afraid to post,
experience with python mailing-list doing the same are a success so we should learn.

Now I would like to have a couple of good souls to help me answering the questions
on this squeak-starters mailing-list.

So if we are 4 or 5 we win!

Stef

Stef,

Your newbie idea is going gangbusters - the newbie ML is moving along very well.
Congrats to you and everyone that encouraged its birth!

brad

Brad Fuller wrote:

> Stef,
>
> Your newbie idea is going gangbusters - the newbie ML is moving along
> very well.
> Congrats to you and everyone that encouraged its birth!

+10^42

:-)

Michael

I saw and this is really amazing. We have to reply to them now...
and to learn also :)

Stef

Thanks, whoever added it to gmane already. Tip for mozilla thunderbird
users: if you don't see gmane.comp.lang.smalltalk.squeak.beginners in the
subscribe screen, click the refresh button.