[Asterisk-Users] List tips for new subscribers <--sorry for 2 nd post, missed this.

[Andrew Kohlsmith]

On February 23, 2005 10:54 am, Colin Anderson wrote:
> Look, there are two kinds of people (on the list): One that can deal with
> the technical implementation of Asterisk and have no problem with it, and
> the other kind, that get fired up about the *concept* but are short of the
> chops to make it happen. We ignore the second kind at our own peril (I

"short of the chops" -- I like that phrase.  :-)

> actually should have said "you guys" instead of "we" because I am
> in-between the two types). I can see a scenario where if the platform
> becomes inaccessible to PHB / noob types because of things like attitude,
> Asterisk will be relegated to "also-ran" status with such illustrious
> company as the Amiga, which still has an incredibly vocal minority that
> insists that Amiga still r00lz, but nobody listens to them and considers
> them crackpots who should Just Get Over It.

While I agree with you for the most part, when those "short of the chops" come 
in and request IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE and don't show the slightest bit of 
having done research or trying to figure it out before, I reply with my 
consulting rates.  I'll hand-hold, but I'll charge for it.  

If, however, you show an honest attempt at figuring it out on your own and you 
check your ego at the door, you will no doubt find that I will go out of my 
way to help.  Check the list archives or your local IRC logs for proof.

In short: Embrace the open source ideologies and you will get open source 
help.  Implement open source to short-cut your way to success, and receive an 
invoice.

> *2 Are you so fussy about how your inbox or whatever is displayed that you
> are willing to alienate a potential adopter because he top posts or uses
> HTML? Come on you guys, who cares? What if you pissed off the CTO of a
> Fortune 500 and he ruled out an Asterisk rollout because he took your
> flames personally? (sounds like a stretch, but I find it plausible) You
> didn't do too much to help the platform that day, did you?

I'm pretty tolerant of these things unless they *really* aggravate me (i.e. a 
10-reply thread with no trimming, or font/colour combinations that make my 
eyes bleed.  I generally reply with whatever help I can offer in addition to 
a "You should turn off HTML because..." and/or "you should spend some time 
editing your replies because..." -- Serious re-offenders often just get 
ignored or mocked publically.  If I am having a particularly bad day I might 
jump the re-offender part but that is *very* infrequent and I often apologize 
publically afterward.  We are, after all, all human.

-A.