[Tutor] Looking for a forgiving environment

[Dean Goodmanson]

Hello!

I've spent the last half of last year lurking some Python lists, and the first few months of this year Zopin'. All with windows, some with OSX.   I'm in central WI far from any Python or Zope physical community.

I have a number of questions that aren't worthy of comp.lang.python, and that I'd rather not go down in the permanent recordbook we call "google: search: my name"...

I'm hoping that this list will be the place for those questions, or help me find a tutor for private conversations.

Examples:
Getting started...
1. Why do emails from mailman lists get annoyingly formatted when I read them from my yahoo account.  The last two or so words are wrapped--especially on reply quotes.
2. How do I connect to the Zope chat on an IRC server. I have CryptSoftware "WinBot"
3. How do I configure a newsreader to view comp.lang.python in something other than google groups?
Advocacy...
4. How can I encourage people to place a Python SOAP service on xmethods.org ?
Zope..
5. What is Zope's specialty over other products [in it's class..], and it's relationship with Radio Userland.
6. How do I get statistics from my Zope server [beyond fsCounter]?
7. Where can I go to get Python maintenance scripts for a Zope server?
(6 & 7 are examples, I haven't researched/attempted those yet.)
Community...
8. Is EDU-SIG for education developers or educators?  I'm looking for activity & discussion in the former.

Sorry for the dump, hoping examples will explain myself better.  I understand that digging on the web will usually deliver what's needed, but there comes a point when I'd like to bounce a question off a peer slightly before all resources have been exhausted...thus the need for a forgiving environment.  Did I mention that Python's shell & absence of "Classes only" enforcement along with readable syntax (examples, not just potential coding style) are the features that hooked me into enjoying the language.  
I've also been very pleased with the pleasantness of the Python/Zope community...a far cry from the chaff to sift through at Slashdot.


Best Regards,

Dean Goodmanson
http://nomad.freezope.org




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