[R] Should there be an R-beginners list?

[PIKAL Petr]

Hi

I doubt if people start to search answers if they often do not search them in help pages and documentation provided. 

I must agree with Duncan that if Stackoverflow was far more better than this help list most people would seek advice there then here. Is there any evidence in decreasing traffic here? 

Anyway, similar discussion went in 2003 with outcome that was not in favour for separate beginner list http://tolstoy.newcastle.edu.au/R/help/03b/7944.html

Petr

BTW it is pitty that r help archive does not extend over year 2012. I found that *Last message date: Tue 31 Jan 2012 - 12:19:21 GMT



> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-
> project.org] On Behalf Of Arman Eshaghi
> Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 1:09 PM
> To: John Sorkin
> Cc: r-help at r-project.org; memilanuk
> Subject: Re: [R] Should there be an R-beginners list?
> 
> I do not agree with a separate beginner's list. But I do stand with
> moving to stackoverflow, mainly because of the easier google search
> than current mailing list. It could make it more accessible.
> 
> 
> On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 4:07 AM, John Sorkin
> <JSorkin at grecc.umaryland.edu>wrote:
> 
> > Mailing list vs. stack overflow, I have no opinion, but beginners
> list
> > NO! I was a beginner at one time and the mailing list worked just
> > fine. I see no reason to divide our efforts across two lists (be they
> > mailing lists or stack overflow).
> > John
> >
> >
> > John David Sorkin M.D., Ph.D.
> > Professor of Medicine
> > Chief, Biostatistics and Informatics
> > University of Maryland School of Medicine Division of Gerontology and
> > Geriatric Medicine Baltimore VA Medical Center 10 North Greene Street
> > GRECC (BT/18/GR) Baltimore, MD 21201-1524
> > (Phone) 410-605-7119
> > (Fax) 410-605-7913 (Please call phone number above prior to faxing)
> > >>> memilanuk <memilanuk at gmail.com> 11/24/2013 7:30 PM >>>
> > On 11/24/2013 12:04 PM, Rich Shepard wrote:
> > > On Sun, 24 Nov 2013, Yihui Xie wrote:
> > >
> > >> Mailing lists are good for a smaller group of people, and
> > >> especially good when more focused on discussions on development
> > >> (including bug reports). The better place for questions is a web
> forum.
> > >
> > >    I disagree. Mail lists push messages to subscribers while web
> > > fora require one to use a browser, log in, then pull messages. Not
> > > nearly as
> > convenient.
> > >
> > > Rich
> > >
> >
> > With the StackOverflow model, you can either view the list of posts
> > related to a specific tag via RSS, or subscribe for email
> notification
> > of new updates on that topic.
> >
> > Add in the added bonus of the ability to moderate and/or cull spam
> and
> > redundant questions, etc. and the targeted focus of a SO-type forum
> > increases dramatically IMHO.
> >
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> > PLEASE do read the posting guide
> > http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> >
> >
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> ______________________________________________
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> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.