Re: PerlMonks as Ambassadors

[arhuman]

A Newbies Area
This topic come back in the foreground quite often
(see this node, this node or this one to name few...)
It was even one of my desire, the first time I came into the monastery.
(I didn't want to bother experienced monks whith question I knew were silly for them...)

Now that I'm a little bit experienced (but still so clueless ;-)
I realize that this area already exist with the Q&A area (at least partially).

Furthermore I realize that what make the monastery so great
is the fact that you can talk/listen with really great people here.
Newbies (and I) learn a lot more by reading experienced monks post/talk in the CB,
than by just asking questions (when they dare to ask).
We should enforce this kind of contacts rather than parking newbies into 'newbies areas'.
They'll improve much faster this way.
Learning to ask the right question (and hence already having part of the answer ;-) and receiving high quality answer...

Moreover I agree with those who think that we must improve our way to deal with newbies.
I mean :

• Being (even) more kind with newbies. (as turnstep suggested)
  being kind in our tone, assuming that they don't know instead of they are stupid,
  giving them credits when needed.
  Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for an 'everybody is nice, everything is great' policy
  but just saying to a newbie that is doing great when it's the case shouldn't harm...
  (I still remember how a kind message from a 'saint' about a piece of my code
  gave me the will to work even harder on a topic...)
  
  
• Adding links to SuperSearch, Library, tutorials is great (buckaduck's suggestion)
  but we should also underline the good way of searching in our posts
  ('A SuperSearch gave me as result...' or 'Using perldoc I found...')
  
  
• Learning more about each newbies.
  We should make each 'newbie' a 'unique monk', it's not just a semantic trick,
  I mean we must tie stronger relation with each newcomer,
  not only answer his question but try to know him better.
  (should we setup a mentor/tutor/godfather/brother in code's program ?)
  The reason behind this strange Idea, is that peole with no reputation/identity tend act without worrying about responsability
  (See all problem related to AM)
  I observed several times that newcomer act differently in front of someone who knows them.
  So treating each newcomer as a 'unique monk' could change his beahaviour, making him often more responsible and mature.
  

This wouldn't change the monastery but would make it a better place for everyone.


"Only Bad Coders Badly Code In Perl" (OBC2IP)