Re: PerlMonks as Ambassadors

[buckaduck]

Frankly, I can see how visitors can be confused sometimes. I have seen the occasional reprimand to a visitor for not consulting Super Search, but I don't see any links to it from The Monastery Gates. Nor is it one of the main links at the top of each page.

In the textarea to submit a question to Seekers of Perl Wisdom, there is no reminder for users to check Super Search, or the Perl documentation, or the Q&A section. Maybe there should be.

I don't see this information boldly leaping out at me from the Site How To or the Perl Monks FAQ, either. In fact, visitors are encouraged to browse the Perl Monks FAQ for formatting tips and then to go ahead and submit their questions.

I will gladly concede that visitors should make more of an effort. But I can certainly understand how they might not know where to look. In that case, a gentle nudge is more appropriate than a terse scolding.

I would also like to remind some of the more experienced Monks around here that most beginners do not know how to use perldoc. It's not that they refuse to try; they simply have never been told. Be patient with them.

buckaduck

[Theo]

When I was new here, (not that long ago) I felt like I had been dumped into a D&D-like maze - passages leading everywhere and no idea which one to take. I suggest that the Monastery Gates have an obvious link to a "Site Tutorial" explaining the layout and function of the various sections. Appropriately, most of the tutorials here are aimed at gaining perl expertise, but newbies really need a "map" of this place to make the most of it.

[tilly]

Are you thinking of a guide like Welcome to the Monastery! Make yourself at home.? If something else, then someone has to write the "map" of this place that you refer to. If you want it done, the most reliable way is to become that someone.

Once the map is available, it is easier to get it moved to Tutorials and then possibly linked from other places.

[Theo]

Yes, tilly, that's just about exctly what I was refering to! I wish I had seen that when I first arrived here. Is it possible (or even permitted) to put an obvious link to that node on the The Monastery Gates page? Perhaps a link something like Finding Your Way Around the Monastery and put it in the center right above the Donations gladly accepted link.

Thanks for showing me the link.