This guide was written in the hope that it will make diving into the TLUG community as easy and trouble-free as possible for the new members. There is also a much more readable TLUG Posting FAQ written by Professor Stephen Turnbull. "The TLUG mailing list" refers to the main technical list. TLUG also has tlug-admin, which is used for discussing the group's administrative matters. This guide is specificly for people who are joining the "main", technical mailing list.
0. What is the TLUG mailing list about?This mailing list is a technical list, and it serves as a forum for Linux, *BSD (FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD) and general open source discussions.
Everyone who is interested in discussing Linux, *BSD (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD) and/or open source development is welcome.
First of all, read this wonderful resource. How To Ask Questions The Smart Way. In short, if you're posting a question, try to do some research before you post it. Describe your environment. Define your problem and attach logs whenever possible so that it is easier for others to diagnose the problem. Otherwise expect to be told to RTFM.
This is a self-help community, not a support center. We exchange knowledge and engage in casual technical conversations. We do not have obligations to support any software, code fixes, or guarantee any kind of service.
All work to maintain TLUG mailing list, update TLUG web site, and to organize meetings and nomikai gatherings is done by volunteers.
You will find that 97% of the list population are friendly and conventionally polite people. About 3% have a more direct style of speech. That 3% typically have passionate beliefs about Unix/Linux system administration, which derive from their real-life experiences. What they say, therefore, tend to include more facts than mere opinions or personal preferences. Just because they sound a little blunt, it does not mean that they're "arrogant", "snobbish" or "stomping on newbies."
Do not take it personally when a technical discussion develops into a heated debate. Keep it technical.
Consult the Jargon File if you're new to the Unix/Linux terminolgy and culture.
Of course you can! Newbies are valued members of the group, so long as they're willing to try out things and learn. People who don't make that effort, or expect help from others and take it for granted may not feel very comfortable on this list.
Newbies' perspectives are generally valued because they give hints as to what improvements can be made to the existing system, organizational or technical. Present them in a constructive manner, rather than insisting "I want this app to work on Linux just like it does on Windows!" or "Why is Linux not as intuitive as Windows ?"
If you have used different computer platforms in the past, please keep this in mind:
"Users with experience with other OSes/windowing systems will often
find "the Unix way" unintuitive, confusing, or inefficient. If
you can be helped with a simple operational or configuration
change, the response is likely to be low-key and helpful. If it
involves design changes or substantial additional code, the
response is often surprisingly vehement opposition on principle!"
TLUG retains the right to warn list members, and if necessary unsubscribe them without notice, if their postings are found to be inappropriate, if they draw many complaints from other list members, if they have a history of abuse, or if there is risk that the operation of the mailing list will be made more difficult by those individuals.
Many thanks to Stephen Turnbull and Josh Glover for proofreading, making suggestions,
and helping me put this guide together.
Comments, corrections and constructive criticisms should be sent to : ayakat@tlug.jp