A more hands-on learning thing rather than just pointing people to a wiki page like?

Yeah it would be a neat idea ^_^ I know there are a few people who probably find it hard to understand some of what's in the Knowledge section, coming from the angle that they're new to Linux and having someone go through the motions so you can see for yourself what to do can be quite helpful...

I'm not sure how this would work. If it was software based, I doubt there would be enough interest, mainly because setting up SVN or using strings in C or anything really is not interesting unless you want to do something that envolves it, and not many people will want to do it all at the same time. if its hardware stuffs, again there are problems - People in SUCS who want to build a PC already know how to, or have learnt enough. people who don't really would not have that much interest in it. PLus it changes uber fast anyways.
Sorry to sound a bit down on it, but I find it may have rather to many practicality issues.

saya wrote:

Given we've just told Level 2 CS about Trac and SVN, I imagine there'd be a lot of interest in seeing how to set one up and use it. As it is our group probably won't be using it and opting for communication via Live Messenger because none of us know how to use it and aren't sure we have the time to learn either *psst* I read the help last year and didn't find it that helpful.
You were all for the build a PC idea last term, why the change?

The best way to get used to trac and svn is to sit down one afternoon and try to make them work. You're surrounded by people who could help with setting one up etc :-) And things like Tortoise SVN integrate SVN with Windows explorer so it's all super easy.

saya wrote:

That's alright for an individual but, if we're telling the people in Level 2 that they can use Trac and SVN, then point them in the direction of a "howto" that doesn't really help, they're either just going to be switched off from using our services or you'll get loads of people at different times coming and asking for help, and not everyone has the time to sit down with someone and explain/show them what to do...

True. Or give people lesson on how to take an initiative :-) Although, to be fair, it takes time to gain the confidence to trust your instincts.

There were 3 or 4 groups last year that used SVN on SUCS. Any idea how many this year?

talyn256 wrote:

True. Or give people lesson on how to take an initiative :-) Although, to be fair, it takes time to gain the confidence to trust your instincts.

There were 3 or 4 groups last year that used SVN on SUCS. Any idea how many this year?

Exactly, or to ask for help. Sometimes all people need is to be shown how to do something and I know people think "yeah but that's not helping them," they're wrong, it really does help and make a difference, especially when you're trying to learn something new. I know I have trouble with worrying I'll break something if I try something on my own when following some cold howto which I can't ask sensible questions at.

I think one group so far by the way, maybe two. Like I said, my group is apparently using MSN (our group "leader" doesn't like the soc name ) and I've only seen one person on MW asking about it (and he came back a few times for help from the seems of things).


Seriously though, SVN aside, there are definitely some things that would make for good tutorial sessions It's just a shame Elmo thinks the PC thing is a bad idea now, because that was definitely one of them, if only to fill the lack of anything like that on the CS course ...

Last edited by saya (2007-02-07 18:54:14)

Not meaning to sound negative, but this has been suggested repeatedly over the years. the ideas of holding tutorial classes on various things, etc. but they always seem to fall flat due to lack of commitment.
Running any kind of course tends to take a lot of effort in planning and attending, and the typical apathy kicks in.

I even got as far as holding a basic 'how to use your sucs account' session one year, but the rest of the plans failed.

So this time, with such a seemingly keen new exec, i have high hopes that something might actually get done.