Re: post from Mark Linimon (how to bring in new people [was: forwarded message from Satish Athreya] )

I located this list while perusing for info about reconfiguring my config 
files with the correct parameters for my monitor. Of course, this list 
isn't about Linux, per se, so I haven't found it. But I would like to 
contribute to the referenced thread, with the following thoughts:

If, after referring someone who expresses an interest in helping to a 
newbie list, you lose them maybe another approach will keep some. Instead 
of referring them to the list I saw mentioned (a Newbie list) can you refer 
them to a mentor? Before flaming me into some undocumented IPV6 territory, 
consider me as someone who would stick around with this kind of referral. 
I've spent the last 17 years inundated by the MS mentality. As my 
initiation back into the real world I took it upon myself to reconfigure a 
customized Linux server, running a RH 7.2 kernel, that had been "upgraded" 
by someone who didn't know any better, to RH 8.0 using the RH standard 
"upgrade" install option. It was frustrating but worth the education I've 
received. I'd really like to go deeper, though.

What I don't want to do is spend countless hours connecting from one place 
to the next, trying to figure out what to do, then doing it again while 
trying to figure out how to do it, and in the interim, figuring out who I 
should be hitting up with questions. Sure, most contributors are into 
writing code, not managing people -- never mind babysitting some ex-MS 
weenie. "Most" isn't everyone, though. Participating in a project is one of 
few ways for an unemployed programmer to stay current. Likewise, anyone 
with their sites on a paycheck for doing management work can benefit by 
being a mentor.

Replies, flames and job offers to my Reply-To, or to the list. I just 
subscribed to the daily digest.
--
John Crout