[pct-l] Being a good list contributor / message to new list members

[yogilists at hotmail.com (yogi yogi)]

I agree that it gets old hashing the same topics over and over and over.  
But we have to remember that these are not new topics to new list members.  
They're just as curious as we were before we knew all this stuff.  They've 
come here to learn.

When long-term list members throw out that "I'm tired of answering this---Go 
search the archives" response, it serves no purpose.  All this does is deter 
that new hiker from posting future inquiries.  Instead of "go search the 
archives", I think it would be more helpful to say something like:  "this 
topic was discussed recently.  Look at the posts from late December with 
subject lines of xxxx, yyyy, zzzz"

My message to new list members is this:  PCT-L is a great resource.  All us 
former PCT hikers show up here looking for the opportunity to spew our 
knowledge.  We love this stuff.  So log on.  Ask a question, state an 
opinion.  Chances are, that ?stupid question? that you?re embarrassed to ask 
is something that many other new hikers are curious about, too.  So walk up 
to the blackboard, pick up the chalk, and ask away.  That?s what the list is 
for.  We rarely agree, but we always learn something.

yogi

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