On the need for moderated questions lists

[Wojciech Puchar]

>
> Because we already _have_ a list `for general FreeBSD questions', and it
> is open.  Adding even more lists to the mix will --at least initially--
> only serve as a source of mild confusion.  Imagine you are a new FreeBSD
> user.

Try to imagine it now.

i see the webpage, the mailing lists, and ftp with installs and 
documentation.

webpage - clear, understandable, read and understood
documentation - simply excellent, nothing else to say.
unmoderated mailing lists - total off-topic mess, is it really FreeBSD 
support? or maybe it's a chat.
moderated mailing list - not very much here, but at least about FreeBSD. 
for sure i will ask here if i will need help with FreeBSD.

Of course after reading documentation and trying to learn myself.


Lets compare it to many other people with "different" and more common 
expectations. What he/she thinks:

webpage - quite not trendy, so little graphics, anyway clear i go forward
documentation - what it is? some technical info for programmers i think. 
but why they put it here? OK lets skip this.
ftp with install - OK finally something !
and he/she booted the CD/DVD and by just clicking OK installed FreeBSD by 
accident. And then don't know what's up.

So he/she needs help and see:

moderated mailing list - hmm.. looks somehow too technical, i don't 
understand anything.

unmoderated mailing lists - EXCELLENT, they even tell my how to install 
KDE!

Then he/she installs KDE, is proud about having such "professional unix 
system" on his/her computer. After few months and lots of questions on 
mailing list he/she still doesn't understand at all what's happening on 
the computer. Proudness already faded and he/she installs windows back.

In windows he/she too - don't understand what's going on, but at least 
it's clear way how to install programs (just click), and he/she THINKS she 
understand something.


At the end - ALL ARE HAPPY.