--- complaw@hal-pc.org wrote:
....or is this list EXTREMELY unfriendly to new users?
The learning curve on Zope is rather daungting. That doesn't help. Once you start getting Zope, you put some serious distance between the you and the newbies. The learning curve is less linear and more like a band-pass filter.
That makes Zope look harder for newbies than it really is.
As you might recall, we had a debate on this list regaring whether or not to create a ZopeNewbies list. Back then I was against it. But your observation (along with mine) has prompted me to reevaluate my earlier negative opinion.
Linux-Mandrake has a separate Newbie and Expert list. There wouldn't be any harm in subscribing to BOTH lists. Moreover, a periodic FAQ could be mailed out on the list with all the newbie type questions we see so often (and perhaps forget ourselves from time to time).
Just my $0.02.
Ron
snip.. I think a NewbiesList and a FAQ is a good idea. I don't know what the previous discussion was, but surely, some good points were raised, and it wasn't created due to some good reason. It may not be a bad idea to sort of creat a reading list and a quasi curriculum for beginners so at least all the conceptual ducks are lined up as it were! :) May I suggest the following: NOTE: I don't think I'm qualified to recommend what should these items contain, I think it will give new users a good starting point though! 1. A core introductry reading list 2. A series of problem-sets to be solved using Zope (okay I'm taking this from ACS a bit, but I think its not such a bad idea!) 3. A FAQ distilled from the ZDP, the lists, etc. etc. 4. ???? maybe other stuff? After doing this reading, I think the beginners (me included) can ask more productive questions! Regarding the "unfriendliness": I see a lot of people helping a lot of newbies, so don't think the list is unhelpful, maybe it wants you to do your homework first? :) Sometimes the list _is_ a bit intimidating, I think, but I haven't spent much time on other lists to do a comparative analysis. However, civilized does not always translate into helpful (or non-condescending for that matter) , but then again, its just my general observation. I have got excellent help from various forums [squishdot, zopezen, zopelabs], and lots of people take the time to give direction to people who seem lost! just my 2 yens worth, -Amr (Don Zuixote de la Zopa) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/