Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!purdue!decwrl!nac.dec.com!plouff
From: plouff@nac.dec.com (Wes Plouff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Introductory Postings Needed?
Message-ID: <8807222120.AA01368@decwrl.dec.com>
Date: 22 Jul 88 21:20:48 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 49

Even though comp.sys.amiga is an unmoderated group, the influx of new 
Amiga owners is causing repetition of the same basic questions every 
couple of months.  I suggest that someone, preferably one of the more 
senior posters to this conference, start sending out monthly 
"introductory" postings.

The goals of these postings would be to familiarize new readers with the 
newsgroup, and to cut down the number of basic questions, conserving 
net.bandwidth.  It's important that the postings be factual, objective 
and barely opinionated.  It's also important that disagreements about 
contents of introductory postings not turn into flame wars.

If some one person (and the rest of the net) feel up to these 
guidelines, here is a possible structure.  The introductory posting 
could consist of a short explanation of comp.sys.amiga, and answers to 
about 25-35 common questions.  The posting could run, say, 300 lines.  
Some general topics which could provide four or five questions each are:

1.  Usenet groups concerned with the Amiga, and how to use them.  Also, 
general Usenet information and netetiquette.

2.  Infrastructure.  Pointers to magazines, BBS lists, Fish Disks, 
resource guides.

3.  CATS.  Presence on the net, stuff for sale, how to become a 
registered developer.

4.  The machines.  Differences among models, expansion, PC emulation, 
next release of the OS.

5.  PD software.  Comp.sources/binaries.amiga vs. archives and Fish 
disks, how to download and unpack, rules for posting, discussion of 
viruses and other nasties.

6.  Miscellaneous questions.  Boot colors, cables, cheap expansion 
products, rules for reviews and product comparisons on the net, 
discussion of product cost vs. parts cost (why is it so expensive), etc.

These are just thought starters.  Seems to me we can apply a little 
intelligence to improve the quality of life in this group without 
controversy.

-- 
Wes Plouff, Digital Equipment Corp, Littleton, Mass.
plouff%nac.dec@decwrl.dec.com

"[Both Andrew] Grove and [Bill] Gates love the fact that it's called 
`the IBM PC,' and they just collect monopoly profits on Intel chips and 
DOS and OS/2 software." -- Scott McNealy, chairman of Sun Microsystems