There is plenty of information about ftp, Internet, LISTSERV, rfcs, gopher, wais,etc. on the Internet. One way to learn about it is to spent a lots of nights and weekends stumbling around on the Internet. The information is there for the taking; however, it is fragmented. (For example, a good gopher source for information on how to use Internet, ftp, etc. is gopher.psg.com.) I'm not a list owner. Why not? Because I don't know enough about the LISTSERV process. That is why I subscribed to LSTOWN-L: to learn. I find it incredulous that anybody would take on such a task as managing a LISTSERV without first paying his or her dues -- learning the Internet and LISTSERV. (Am I missing something here? Is there an easy way to learning this stuff -- one without me having to waste my time doing homework?) Richard [log in to unmask] ****************************************************************** In message <[log in to unmask]> ListServ list owners writes: > On Fri, 15 Jan 1993 07:38:00 EST Peter M. Weiss +1 814 863 1843 said: > > >Questions can be asked of people/lists, or of computer databases. > >Listserv provides facilities for retrieving such. > > Yes, but one can only ask questions if one knows that there are questions > to be asked. I think I can speak for most novices when I say that we > don't know what questions to ask and even if we do know what to ask, we > frequently lack the appropriate vocabulary. To me, computers are a second > language and I am still learning the idiom. > > >Rule 1 for List Owners: see if the question (and answer) has been asked > > before by searching / reading the notebook or FTP (if available) > > archives. > > I am sure that this is fine advice - but how do you do it? This is the > kind of instruction that frustrates a new user! (For example, why would a > new Listowner necessarily know what FTP means, let alone how to do it?) > > >If you have never read the file LISTFAQ MEMO (available from a listserv > >near you -- 128 lines), this is a must. > > Yes, but if this exists, how does a new Listowner know that it exists? > And how does that novice listowner learn how to get the file (?) referred > to here? > > > Do an INDEX LDBASE-L to the listserv@ukanvm > > (@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu) > > This is the kind of helpful hint that drives me crazy and totally > intimidates me! I recognize the words as English, but when they are > strung together in this way, I just don't understand a word...including > the "do a..." part. How? > > >Rule 2: find out where other FAQs are stored for various topics. A good > > place to start is ~ftp pit-manager.mit.edu cd pub/usenet > > With respect, this instruction is designed to render the poor ignorant > new user/listowner into a quivering jelly of fear and frustration! What > does it all mean? > > I appreciate Peter Weiss' attempts to elucidate things, but the fact is > that it ends up being an example of what so many new users encounter - > more confusion. The vocabulary used by computer people is often obscure; > moreover, it frequently sounds the same as "normal" vocabulary, but with > a different meaning. An example of this is the computer-related usage of > the word "digest". Eventhe word "do" takes on new meanings! > > I am sure that it is very hard for knowledgeable people to talk about > computer related matters in a simple way ...but is it really impossible? > And if it is that impossible, what hope is there for the future, with new > users (who seem tobe getting less and less local support) entering the > fray every day? In this I speak not only of LISTSERV, but of all pc, LAN, > and network activities. > > Even LSTOWN-L is extremely hard to understand very often, partly because > many of the posts presuppose a level of knowledge that a new listowner > might not have, and I certainly don't have. > > How a about a JUNIOR branch of LSTOWN-L for us? Just kidding........NOT! > > Peace, Anthea Tillyer ABTHC@CUNYVM City University of New York