Chadwick Seagraves wrote:
> For the lone systems librarian at small institutions with a beginner or
> intermediate skill level in programming, a different level of discussion
> will be necessary. I also think the average, non-techie librarian would
> be more likely to participate in a group where others were at that
> level. I haven't participated on oss4lib, so I can't speak to that.
The thing to remember here is that both oss4lib and code4lib were
started by a few lone systems librarians at small institutions with
beginner or intermediate skill levels in programming. I get loudly and
clearly that these lists don't look like that anymore, especially to
newcomers. So we here are not absolved of responsibility to remember
that here. By the same token, neither are you absolved from the
responsibility of choosing to understand and participate in what came
before your present work.
One outcome from working with free software for many years is that the
more you see, the more you realize that deeply considering your problems
in terms of solutions that might already exist is a productive and
worthwhile exercise. That applies for software, lists of 900 people,
and lists of 9 people alike.
That's also why I joined the new list, and why I hope you join the old
list (oss4lib-discuss). Fwiw, there have been more new signups on
oss4lib-discuss in the past day than there were in the whole previous
month. (The power of "and" in action, to borrow from Porras and Collins. :)
-Dan
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