Subject: Linux Internet Support Co-op
From: [email-masked] (lilo)
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 1994 15:03:07 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce

Hi!  It's me again.  It's been two weeks since our first announcement.
The response has been fairly good.  :)  But, by popular demand, and
with the consent of our gracious moderator, I'd like to repost the
announcement and questionaire for those of you who might have missed
it!  :)

Thanking you all again for your support and assistance,

lilo :)

*----------------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

I'd like to introduce myself.  I'm a nameless, genderless person
who seems to spend an inordinate amount of time on Internet
Relay Chat.  :)

I've been using IRC since last November, and I've seen some
problems with support for new Linux users.  It seems fashionable
to run people off rather than help them. ;)

As a result, some friends and I are in the process of setting up
a support channel for Linux, on EFNet, the Undernet, the Overnet,
and probably one or two other IRC nets before we are through. :)

We're not quite at a working point, and I'd like to apologize to
anyone who has wandered into one of the channels we've set up
and has not received assistance.  Our next need is volunteers.

We're looking for people with expertise in Linux, Unix/Posix, X,
the various applications and the common programming languages.
We'd like to maintain 24-hour problem assistance, or as close to
that goal as we can reach, in order to make Linux more accessible
to new users.  Even an hour or two per week of user assistance
can make a big difference in a new user's perception of Linux.

We aren't limiting our audience to newbies--we want to provide
a quiet environment in which Linux users and developers can talk
about whatever interests them.

Let me quote from the channel rules:

   ...[the] channel functions as a friendly, relaxed
   environment in which to discuss Linux and related software
   and support issues.  It is not restricted to new users.
   There are no ops but the bots, and we will try to avoid
   kicking/banning.
   
   But some things aren't allowed.  Newbies and old hands
   alike should be treated with respect.  "Read the F*cking
   Manual" and its many clone phrases are not acceptable.
   If the user had no problems getting their information from
   FAQ's and HOW-TO's, they would not be here.
   
   Make people aware of available documentation, but first
   help to resolve their problem.  Don't press the issue.
   Successful users will learn to use the documentation
   (or write their own).
   
   And, please -- when you get tired of being patient and
   friendly, wander off for a while!  You can always come
   back.  ;)

Anyway, as I say, we are now looking for volunteers who can
spend a little time to help us expand our user base, or just
to give a little back to the community if you haven't had the
opportunity.

If you think you might be interested in helping, regardless
of just how "user-friendly" you consider yourself, we'd
appreciate your filling out the questionaire below and
e-mailing it to "lilo <[email-masked]>".  It's several pages
long, so if you complete it we'll be incredibly grateful. ;)
We'll keep everyone posted on the status of the effort!

Thank you in advance for your help,

lilo :)

----------------------------*cut here*----------------------------

This is the questionaire for volunteers to provide help and
support services for the Linux Internet Support Cooperative.
There are no right answers to the viewpoint questions, even
if it looks as if we're angling for a particular response!
Please send the completed questionaire to
"lilo <[email-masked]>".  Thank you!

Name: (optional)   _______________________
IRC/Internet Nick: _______________________
Email address:     _______________________

                            
I.         Viewpoint         

Please check the answer that           Not    No       Some-
comes closest to your             No!  Much   Opinion  what   Yes!
viewpoint.

1. I think IRC could be a helpful  _     _       _       _      _
   support tool.

2. I believe new users do not try  _     _       _       _      _
   to read the documentation.

3. I believe that new users        _     _       _       _      _
   should be able to find and use
   all the available documen-
   tation for Linux by themselves.

4. I am a patient person.          _     _       _       _      _

5. I like to work with new users.  _     _       _       _      _

6. I want to see Linux used and    _     _       _       _      _
   appreciated by a wide audience
   of users, with varying degrees
   of computer literacy.

7. I believe that Linux is as      _     _       _       _      _
   fully-documented as it needs
   to be.

8. I am burnt out on IRC.          _     _       _       _      _

9. I am more concerned about       _     _       _       _      _
   resolving a user's problems
   than about assigning blame.

10.Almost every new user I talk to _     _       _       _      _
   asks the same questions over
   and over.  They don't seem to
   learn.

11.I don't mind answering ques-    _     _       _       _      _
   tions, but would prefer not
   to have to deal with newbies
   directly.

12.I feel I have good human        _     _       _       _      _
   language and interaction
   skills.

II.Resources

Please check any of the following which apply, and fill in the
blanks where appropriate:

1. I want to _ work with users             _ help provide
                                             support service
             _ research problems
                                           _ work via email only
             _ answer questions
                                           _ work via email or
             _ locate available              private IRC channel
               documentation                 only

2. I can be on IRC to provide assistance during the following times:
   (Please spell out the name of your local time zone, and indicate
   which days of the week you would be available, Monday through
   Sunday.  If you can only be available by email during a particular
   time period, please indicate that when you specify the time.)

   _________________________________________________________________
   _________________________________________________________________
   _________________________________________________________________
   _________________________________________________________________

3. I can comfortably spend about this much time per week performing
   tasks relating to this effort:  (Estimates are fine.  Please
   specify a number of hours.)

   _________________________________________________________________

4. I can provide the following support services (optional!):

   _ accounts where bots can be run    _ I am able and willing to
                                         write html pages.
   _ configuring bots

   _ shell-programming services (I
     use these shells: ___________
     ____________________________.)

   _ I am willing to do C programming

5. I am familiar with the following programs/systems:

                      I use    I use it    I've written  I wrote some
                        it    really well     patches    or all of it

   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   __________________   _          _             _            _
   (please feel free
     to add lines  :)

5. I type fluently in the following human languages (i.e., Dutch,
   Japanese, English, etc.):

   _________________________________________________________________
   _________________________________________________________________

6. I type passably in the following human languages (i.e., Dutch,
   etc.), but not really well:

   _________________________________________________________________
   _________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your assistance in filling out this questionaire!  :)

lp-q                                  Sat Sep 17 22:50:21 GMT 1994
*----------------------------*cut here*----------------------------

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