[bksvol-discuss] Bookshare Volunteer Discussion List Etiquette
- From: Scott Rains <scottr@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:39:38 -0700
Volunteers,
When a question appears on this discussion list we assume that the poster has
first checked the online Scanning and Proofreading Manual here:
https://wiki.benetech.org/display/BSO/Scanning+and+Proofreading+Manual
However, sometimes that is not the case and the most efficient way to answer is
to provide the URL directly to the answer.
It is always appropriate to quote the manual and provide the URL in an answer
even if it seems that the poster has probably read the appropriate section.
This is because the value-add of providing answers on a list is that others
learn from the answers as well and they might not know where the answer is in
the manual.
The revised online Scanning and Proofreading Manual was re-designed using
volunteer feedback so that it could be most effective as a teaching tool. Some
may want to draw attention to it by including the manual's URL in their
signature block.
Because there are new techniques in the manual, more topics covered, and new
navigation we encourage all volunteers to review the manual carefully this
week.
We especially ask more senior volunteers to become very familiar with it so
they can best fulfill their roles as teachers and mentors within Bookshare. All
the teaching resources still to come will build on and refer to the Manual so
it will become increasingly important as a teaching tool and a way to rapidly
answer questions posted to this list.
Finally, here is a review of some of the practices that we use to keep list
communication efficient.
We use clear descriptions of the email in the "Subject" line.
When a question has been answered we refrain from responding further and let
the thread die.
Some messages -- such as Cindy's Books Being Scanned and the Wish List -- are
for announcement only.
Other messages have some general interest to the group even after many
responses but the topic tends to drift or shift slightly. Then we either change
the title to more accurately reflect the new subject or prepend the capitol
letters OT before the original subject to indicate that the thread is
"off-topic."
Paradoxically, OT messages are not forbidden. There are any number of subjects
that add to the life of the Bookshare volunteer community but do not address
immediate technical problems in volunteering.
The letters OT tell us two things. First that we may safely skip the message
without leaving a fellow volunteer stranded with a problem and second that each
member of the list has an extra responsibility to let that thread fade out so
that it is less difficult to find and answer on-topic issues of immediate
concern to a volunteer's scanning and proofing.
This list is excellent with firsthand knowledge of technical questions about
assistive technology as it is used in scanning and proofing. General questions
about membership, administration, or AT are subjects for other Bookshare
departments such as Membership or Customer Support: support@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
This list is also an excellent human repository of knowledge about the history
of Bookshare from a volunteer perspective. All Bookshare policy however is
determined by staff.
The list has a high volume of messages. On-topic messages tend to need rapid
responses because on-topic messages deal with issues related to scanning and
proofing that volunteers are engaged in at the moment. Often they can't move
ahead with a project until someone responds. thanks to all who help by posting
both questions and answers!
Scott Rains
Benetech Fellow, Bookshare Volunteer Department
________________________________________
To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of
available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
Other related posts:
- » [bksvol-discuss] Bookshare Volunteer Discussion List Etiquette - Scott Rains
