As for the discussion of the appropriateness of the discussion of global
variables, here is my 0.02 Euro:
The time I've been on list, it has been a balancing between
questions/answers ranging from the rather basic, to the rather hairy.
This balancing has mostly been quite good. When it works best, I see it
as due to two kinds of behaviour:
1) the presence and patience of the experienced (and that is especially
glynn, so stop banging on him) in answering basic questions.
2) the ability of the unexperienced to follow pointers (e.g. use the net
and the literature to become experienced), once given.
As for the first point, I can only say that I find the patience (and
presence) of the experienced highly admirable.
(Nomex III boiler suit on)
As for the second, the responsability of (not only) the unexperienced to
preserve bandwidth - both list bandwidth and mental bandwidth at those
supposed to answer - should also be stressed. With one list and maybe 10
million linux users, some of them programming, it is necessary for
everybody first to attempt to use whatever local resources being
present, people, books, net, experimenting, whatever, to solve their
problems.
In my opinion, this list is not, could not and should not be a basic
course in C - it should be for shooting trouble and discussing
techniques, tools, algorithms, pitfalls, teaching etc (some humor is
also OK, if it is good :) )
(Nomex off)
At this point someone typically proposes to split the list in a basic
and a hairy part. I dont think this is a good idea, it will typically
lead to the dead of at least one - if not both - of the lists. For a
list to live, there must be a reason for the inexperienced to become
experienced (i.e. someone to tell them that there is (some) order behind
the chaos and some beauty beyond the constant pain), for them to become
the new experienced, when the older ones leaves for greener pastures.
But it must also be fun for the experienced to be on the list, this
probably setting the upper limit of the ratio between basic and hairy
questions. Otherwise they'd probably disappear (one could at this point
make the thought experiment that the handful of _highly_ experienced
people answering most of the questions on this list (you know who you
are) just left. What then?).
What about a FAQ, which could contain (nomex on) some agreed upon
philosophical statements about the list (okay, such things _are_
pluralistic in nature and thus subject to change) a tool overview and a
number of pointers to resources on the net and in book form. When
somebody (like me) proposes a FAQ to be written and regularly posted, he
or she typically ends up with the responsability to actually do it, but
(sprinkler system on also) for the time being, I dont have the time to
do it !! sorry !! (all fire equipment off).
that all for now folks -
Niels HP
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
