Re: FAQ Node

[footpad]

Instead of creating a new area, I'd rather see a topic or series of topics along the lines of "Nodes for New Monks."

It would appear immediately after you create your account and as an Suggested Reading nodelet that you could not dismiss or move until you reached second or third level.

The initial post would provide a series of links broken into various levels of categories. The nodelet would list the main category links.

I can think of several categories and entries:

• The Perl Monks Guide to the Monastery
• Chatterbox FAQ
• Turnstep's tips and tricks.
• Finding Answers
• Tutorials
• Q&A
• Library
• Snippets
• Cool uses for Perl
• Search merlyn's Web Techniques columns or scan his other works.
• Expected Behavior
• Commandments
• Chip (on the shoulder) Monks
• Consider Your Audience
• Newbie Monk Seeking Enlightenment
• Effective Posting
• Formatting your posts; what works. What doesn't. (link needed)
• Now you too can add Read More Links to root nodes
• Before you post
• [In Defense of Civility
• [In Defense of Criticism
• Common Questions:
• Common Mistakes
• Code Smarter
• TIMTOWTDI -- so long as it's not my way
• Perl Installation
• CPAN Modules
• CGI Scripts and Troubleshooting
• use CGI or die;
• Regular Expressions
• Common Regex Gotchas
• Death to Dot Star!
• 7 Stages of Regex Users
• Data Handling
• etc...
• Voting and Experience
• How should I spend my votes? -- General Voting Guidelines
• ? why do you vote like you do ?
• Shadow Conspiracies, Experience and General PM mayhem
• Voting and XP SuperSearch
• Additional Sources
• perldoc perlfaq
• Other Useful Homenodes: merlyn, tilly, ybiC, Dominus, etc.

You may have noticed that I put posting below searching and behavior; this was done to help reinforce the idea of "search first, ask questions later."

Also, these links are just ideas. I'm missing many, but the idea would be for someone to maintain it (I'll volunteer, if you like) and the community at large to suggest additions, much the same way neophyte handles Outside Links.

--f

Update: I'm suggesting a node based approach so that interested parties can add it to their Personal Nodelet.

[magnus]

i think this is a really strong idea... i could have used something of this sort when i first joined, and in fact, still could...

having a helpful "user manual" to PM as well as a jump on nodes that could be useful to the new PM, could save many -- votes and hours of embarrassment and frustration... plus having a plethora of PMs who know how to get the most from PM would, de facto, raise the base level of what was being discussed on nodes and elsewhere...

++, footpad...

magnus

[joee]

THANK YOU footpad!!!! This node just became the first node to be added to my personal nodelet.

puts chalk away and walks away from the board, eager to study again