From: "Michael T. Richter" Date: 2006-12-20T13:13:05+09:00 Subject: Re: [OT] where have all the experienced users gone? --=-oZBuHn1thWyhMm2m19QS Content-Type: multipart/related; type="multipart/alternative"; boundary="=-hQ4ALYHMUPgiNNI1hxnq" --=-hQ4ALYHMUPgiNNI1hxnq Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=-ac3JkoSA1HSf/LaP8OVz" --=-ac3JkoSA1HSf/LaP8OVz Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Wed, 2006-20-12 at 02:31 +0900, James Britt wrote: > Agreed. >=20 > I've been marking all list mail as 'read' upon arrival so there is no=20 > instant clue that there are new messages. I visually scan for certain=20 > sender names or topic words, and have some filters to catch references=20 > to a small set of keywords. Just in case. >=20 > But I don't bother trying to keep up or pitch in as I once did. I'm=20 > sure I'm missing some interesting topics, but it's too tedious to wade=20 > through "What is the best IDE?" , "What's wrong with my ajax?", "Why is=20 > my model not validating?", and "Your opinion on [foo] is teh sux." >=20 > All in all, I'd rather just focus on writing, and writing about, Ruby. >=20 > (This started way before the holidays, too, so we can't blame Santa's=20 > elves.) While I can understand and appreciate the reasons for this approach, James, it does have a significant (and in my opinion bad) side-effect: you're leaving the field to those who can't contribute as much or as well as you can. This means that a Ruby Newbie (hah! :D) coming into the mailing list for the first time does not see a vital community full of knowledgeable people ready to share what they know. Instead they see an increasingly hostile community fraught with flames and lacking support for them. A significant fraction of these (likely the majority) will then conclude that learning Ruby won't be worthwhile and will go elsewhere to less productive, less useful, less fun languages. They suffer and so does the Ruby community as a result. As I said I understand fully your reasons for stepping out like this. I'm just wondering if you've thought through the possible consequences. --=20 Michael T. Richter Email: ttmrichter@gmail.com, mtr1966@hotpop.com MSN: ttmrichter@hotmail.com, mtr1966@hotmail.com; YIM: michael_richter_1966; AIM: YanJiahua1966; ICQ: 241960658; Jabber: mtr1966@jabber.cn "I would not flinch from sacrificing a million lives for India's liberty!" --Mahatma Gandhi --=-ac3JkoSA1HSf/LaP8OVz Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Wed, 2006-20-12 at 02:31 +0900, James Britt wrote:

Agreed.

I've been marking all list mail as 'read' upon arri=
val so there is no 
instant clue that there are new messages.  I visual=
ly scan for certain 
sender names or topic words, and have some filters =
to catch references 
to a small set of keywords.  Just in case.

But I don't bother trying to keep up or pitch in as=
 I once did.  I'm 
sure I'm missing some interesting topics, but it's =
too tedious to wade 
through "What is the best IDE?" , "W=
hat's wrong with my ajax?",  "Why is 
my model not validating?", and "Your opin=
ion on [foo] is teh sux."

All in all, I'd rather just focus on writing, and w=
riting about, Ruby.

(This started way before the holidays, too, so we c=
an't blame Santa's 
elves.)

While I can understand and appreciate the reasons for this approach, James,= it does have a significant (and in my opinion bad) side-effect: you're lea= ving the field to those who can't contribute as much or as well as you can.= This means that a Ruby Newbie (hah! 3D":D"

) c= oming into the mailing list for the first time does not see a vital communi= ty full of knowledgeable people ready to share what they know. Instea= d they see an increasingly hostile community fraught with flames and lackin= g support for them. A significant fraction of these (likely the major= ity) will then conclude that learning Ruby won't be worthwhile and will go = elsewhere to less productive, less useful, less fun languages. They s= uffer and so does the Ruby community as a result.

As I said I understand fully your reasons for stepping out like this. = I'm just wondering if you've thought through the possible consequences.

--
Michael T. Richter
Email: ttmrichter@gmail.com= , mtr1966@hotpop.com
MSN: ttmrichter@hotmail.com= , mtr1966@hotmail.com; YIM: michael_richter_1966; AIM: YanJiahua1966; ICQ: 241960658; Jabber: mtr1966@jabber.cn

"I would not flinch from sacrificing a million liv= es for India's liberty!" --Mahatma Gandhi

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