Re: [exim] suggestion - exim-new-users

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005, kmb wrote:

> I tend to agree that we sometimes chase away new users with RTFM as
> an answer. or by talking down to users because they don;t know as
> much as we do and ask a basic question..

On the other hand, the reality is that operating an internet-facing
MTA is a potentially high-risk activity. It *demands* a certain
minimal level of knowledge, and we would be doing newcomers a
disservice if we left them to think that they could just muddle
through by reading an FAQ or two and then getting stuck in.

In no time at all, they'd likely get themselves into trouble.

Sure, everyone's got to start somewhere, don't get me wrong.
But nobody should go hang-gliding or scuba-diving on their own after
reading a few FAQs, and, in its way, operating an internet-facing MTA
is risky too.

This isn't like making web pages, where one can start simple with a
bit of HTML, have fun, and do nobody any harm while learning.
Running a production MTA is different.

> There is much good information on this list, finding it is the hard
> part.

Exim also has excellent documentation (though the index often fails me
- but grep-ing the plain text file works well). What it *doesn't*
have, is an elementary course in SMTP protocols and in MTA operations
in the face of the real hostile Internet. And I have to say that some
people asking questions here *do* seem to give the impression of
needing such - but it wouldn't be specific to exim, and I think they
should expect to find it somewhere else, before the details of exim
could start making sense to them.

> Unless you know what you are looking for it can be tough to
> build the correct search to get what you need.

I think that confirms what I've been saying.

I don't myself see a benefit in fragmenting this list. The real
hostile Internet is a rough place, and anyone who takes fright at the
occasional perceived ill-tempered reply here may not have the nerves
for it: they would perhaps be better advised to delegate their email
service to someone else, and concentrate on what they're good at. It
takes all sorts. That's my personal opinion, anyway: everyone's got
a perfect right to theirs.

best regards