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Re: Archive idea



On Sat, 24 Jun 2000 00:20:09 -0400, "Bruce Plecan" <nacelp@bright.net>
wrote:

>Personnally I rather see them in zips and everyone do their own thing, would
>cut down on the whining when / if there are site problems.  The folks
>running it are nice enough as is to host things, and do enough thankless
>work with having to make things as nice as they are.  Kinda looking a gift
>horse in the mouth as I see it.  I think the hosts here can do with a whole
>lot less work, and alot more thank yous, course just MHO.

Certainly a LOT can be done offline in lieu of the online searching,
until it becomes more easily feasible. With Orin's latest deposit of
this year's traffic zipped up & in Incoming, that sure has helped me a
lot. If someone could fix the majordomo to answer "index" and "get"
commands (a very modest request I would think, since it usually works
right outta the box; something fairly simple must be knackered, and
should be easy to fix), then such a continuously running zip file of
this year's traffic to date would be possible (and easy). That's how we
do it anyway, and we don't use anything beyond the standard features of
majordomo.

One of the reasons I'm trying to do these "series" postings is to try to
get a reasonably compact and easily identifiable/findable thread into
the archives so when someone comes onboard and asks the inevitable
repeat question on some particular topic, you can more easily refer them
to what/where to look for it in the archives, and just be done with it.
Hell of alot easier than trying to compose an extensive FAQ. THAT's alot
like writing a bloody book, and as you suggest Bruce, that's REALLY
expecting alot from others.

What we've found on our XA list is that the best way to get a "working"
FAQ that covers certain topics, is to introduce the topic, and try to
have everyone contribute all they can to coming up with a comprehensive
thread on that subject. Then when a newbie comes aboard, there's a
distinctly identifiable and fairly compact thread in the archives he can
go chase down, read it as it developed, and get the answers he wants.
BTW, we keep our archives in a series of manageable-sized zip packages,
just as you suggest. Usually someone familiar with past traffic will say
to a newcomer question, "oh yeah, that's in the archives in I think
zip#4; use the key words blahDblah and you'll find it". Then it's up to
the person to go get zip#4 and find it himself.

It may sound hokey and forced to produce a "mini-series", either overtly
or by accidental focus on some specific topic, but if everyone takes
pains to stay on subject when you realize you're jointly creating a
"keeper" (and create new "subject lines" for inevitable tangents), then
"it's in the archives under blahDblah" becomes a very real & practical
way to FAQs, instead of just sounding like an uncaring cop-out.

Every now and then, people on our list will announce that they're
cooking up a summary of stuff, and there'll be a thread started with an
intentionally easy2find and distinctive subject line, asking for help in
making the thread a "keeper" mini-compendium on some topic, just for the
archives. Then everyone that has something, packs it in there like
hamsters. :)

Works for us, anyhoo.

Gar


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