[Zope] A new list needed?

[Joel Burton]

On Sat, 20 Oct 2001, Dan Shafer wrote:

> I'm somewhere between a novice and a Zopista, I suppose, so I imagine
> I am representative of the majority of the folks who hang out here.
>
> Speaking for me, I don't find either the volume or the level of the
> traffic on this list to be so onerous that it calls out for the
> creation of a second more technical list.
>
> And not to put too fine a point on it but to suggest not only that we
> need a new list where obviously experienced Zope developers like Mr.
> Bengtsson don't get "bugged" by people asking them to explain
> technical questions but that such a list should be closed smacks
> dangerously of elitism.
>
> The Zope community doesn't seem to me to be so large that segregating
> those "in the know" from those who are desperately trying to be "in
> the know" is a great idea.
>
> I may just be one of those people who "won't ever need to use" stuff
> I ask for more detail about, but I deeply appreciate the positive and
> helpful attitude exhibited by virtually everyone on this list when I
> even think I need such assistance.
>
> It's nice that people remember what was hard for them when they were
> starting out and are willing to help novices even if it takes a few
> extra minutes of time to do so.

Dan --

I think the question of closed lists has more to do w/ clueless
commercial postings than excluding new users.

I agree that having experienced users helping new users is a good thing,
but honestly (falling more in the experienced camp than the new user
camp), I do find the list traffic too overwhelming to read every day,
or often even to scan every week, and therefore, I'll let it go for weeks
at a time. If there were a place where I could catch the medium-level,
technical, interesting questions that affected my level of Zope learning,
I'd have more incentive to read & contribute.

As it is now, I do find myself gravitating more toward ZopeZen,
ZopeLabs, and other places that offer useful ideas to me than the ML. And
I think that the best web-based discussion board in the universe sucks
compared to email lists or newsgroup lists in terms of speed,
searchability and interface, so this is a Bad Thing.

Something to give intermediate/advanced users a place to think and work
doesn't seem elitism as it does sensible.

-- 

Joel BURTON  |  joel@joelburton.com  |  joelburton.com  |  aim: wjoelburton
Independent Knowledge Management Consultant