Re: Periodic FAQ & Charter post

From: Niall Litchfield <n-litchfield_at_audit-commission.gov.uk>
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 09:24:55 -0000
Message-ID: <3fc71467$0$9391$ed9e5944@reading.news.pipex.net>

comments embedded
"Hans Forbrich" <forbrich_at_badaddress.net> wrote in message news:3FC52258.A534154C_at_badaddress.net...
> The following is a Request for Discussion, following up on some recent
> posts about distributing a periodic news group 'Charter and FAQ' post.
> While not formally following RFC/RFD rules, the intent is to use the
> rules as a guide for the discussion and make a more formal Request for
> Comment and a follow-up formal vote, possibly before year-end.
>
> Proposal:
>
> That the following be posted weekly for this news group:
>
> >> Start of proposed content >>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Subject: News group Charter and brief FAQ
>
> Charter: (Based on formal RFC vote, as of December 1996)
>
> Comp.databases.oracle.misc is a news group where topics generally
> related to the use of software from Oracle Corporation may be posted.
> This group provides a forum for topics which do not fall within any of
> the more specific comp.databases.oracle subgroups.
>
> This news group is not intended as a marketplace where employment
> advertisements or commercial announcements may be posted. These should
> be directed to comp.databases.oracle.marketplace (unless it is not
> created by the CFV).

remove "unless it is not created by the CFV" it has been.

> For more information, refer to http://www.orafaq.com/usenet/charter3.htm
> --------
> Netiquette & News group FAQ:
>
> 1) Alternate sources
>
> Readers are encouraged to do their own research and to use alternate
> related resources before posting a question. Common sources:
>
> From Oracle -
>
> General product information at OTN: http://otn.oracle.com
> Code examples: OTN >> Code Samples
> Installation examples: Code Samples >> Oracle By Example
> All Documentation: http://docs.oracle.com
> Error messages lookup: Documentation

http://tahiti.oracle.com has searchable error messages (and docs) I'd certainly want t in the error message lookup if not in the docs link. OTN requires free registration.

> Other -
>
> General Oracle FAQ: http://orafaq.com

The Oracle Users Co-Operative FAQ :
http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/faq/ind_faq.html The archives of this newsgroup:
http://groups.google.com/groups?group=comp.databases.oracle.misc (replace misc as appropriate for the other groups)

> 2) Posting Guidelines
>
> When posting a question, indicate the following information:
>
> * Oracle product name, feature (if appropriate) and version
> * Operating system & version
> * If code related, post the actual code
> * If message related, post the actual message
>
> 3) Cross posting
>
> Please do not cross-post to any other comp.database.oracle news group.
> If the topic can not be determined from the charter of each group, post
> to comp.oracle.database.misc only.
>
> 4) SPAM and Commercial Messages
>
> The posting of commercial message, messages intended to promote the sale
> of a product or service are expressly forbidden in this group. Please
> restrict commercial messages to comp.database.oracle.marketplace
>
> 5) Netiquette
>
> Users are encouraged to follow Netiquette guidelines as described in
> Virginia Shea's online book 'Netiquette', online version available at
> http://www.albion.com/netiquette/book/index.html

I can't see anyone reading it all, and I'm not sure that promoting the targeted flame is helpful given that some of us regulars come across as arrogant and unhelpful anyway. How does the following sound as an alternative?

A large number of people read this newsgroup therefore a.. It is always a good idea to read what others in the list or group are saying for a while, to get a feel for the nature of the list/group, and what is or is not acceptable to the list/group. b.. Be aware that your postings are archived - for example at http://groups.google.com , and the archives are available for a very long time. Don't say anything that might come back and haunt you years down the track.
c.. Messages should be both concise and relevant to the group. d.. Spelling mistakes tend to be the rule rather than the exception. Questioning someone else's spelling is not good netiquette, and not necessary unless it occurs in a critical place, like a possibly mis-spelt

URL. Remember that not everyone is a native speaker of your mother tongue.
  e.. Don't get involved in or respond to Flame Wars.
  f.. If you find a posting offensive, avoid it. Sending harassing messages

to the group doesn't help anyone
g.. Keep private messages private, don't post to the group as well. there is also a comprehensive guide to netiquette at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/

>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> << end of proposed content <<
>
> Discussion to be closed on December 24, 2003, followed by a formal call
> for Votes.
>
> Discussion topics to include:
>
> - volunteer individual or organization responsible for maintaining and
> delivering this posting

looks like Mark has made the mistake of volunteering for this :(

> - actual content of the post
> - format of the post
> - frequency of the post
> - and, of course, typos
>
> This RFD initiated by Hans Forbrich
>
> (Comparable RFDs for comp.database.oracle, comp.database.oracle.tools,
> comp.database.oracle.server and comp.database.oracle.marketplace to be
> released within the next 2 days.)

Isn't comp.databases.oracle supposed to be dead?

Overall this is an excellent contribution Hans. The only other reservation that I have is that both Jonathan and orafaq.com periodically but irregularly post FAQs to these groups. It may be that we are covering the same ground again, and that actually folk don't read FAQs anyway.

-- 
Niall Litchfield
Oracle DBA
Audit Commission UK

Received on Fri Nov 28 2003 - 03:24:55 CST