:SearchEnterpriseLinux: Dos and Don'ts: Get the Most Out of Free Support
SearchEnterpriseLinux: Dos and Don'ts: Get the Most Out of Free Support May 27, 2003, 11 :00 UTC (3 Talkback[s]) (4273 reads) (Other stories by Jameson C. Burt)
"Don't rely solely on an open-source project site's search engine. The number of solutions contributed to an open-source project like Debian/GNU Linux becomes daunting without a strong search engine. I've found that an advanced Google search often works more quickly and more thoroughly than an open-source site's search of itself.
"Do be selective when subscribing to mailing lists, or you'll be overwhelmed. My e-mail subscription to just one Debian Linux mailing list brings in 100 to 300 messages a day. Only by using tools like procmail can one effectively sort through that level of traffic.
"Don't waste your time on chat sessions. Compared with e-mail archives, an open-source chat session gives responses that contributors spent only seconds on, involves users who are impatient and glib, and ignores thousands of archived answers previously offered by others..."
