major restructuring, with the intent on making it more useful and less prone to people who just pick the first address that sounds amusing enough and mail their problem to it ;)

CVS version numbers

english/contact.wml: 1.25 -> 1.26

1 files changed, 92 insertions, 55 deletions

diff --git a/english/contact.wml b/english/contact.wml
index eed77461b73..c442af96285 100644
--- a/english/contact.wml
+++ b/english/contact.wml
@@ -1,26 +1,52 @@
 #use wml::debian::template title="Getting in Contact with Us" NOCOMMENTS="yes"
 
-<H2>General Information</H2>
+<p>Debian is a large organization and there are a lot of ways to contact it.
+This page will summarize the often requested means of contacting; it is by
+no means inclusive. Please refer to the rest of the web pages for other
+contact methods.</p>
 
-<p>For general information on Debian, please see our web site,
-<a href="$(HOME)">http://www.debian.org/</a>, and our FTP site,
-<a href="ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/">ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/</a>.
+<p>English language is the common language for communication with Debian
+developers. We therefore ask that initial enquiries to developers be made
+in <strong>English</strong>. If this is not possible, go through
+<a href="MailingLists/subscribe#int">the user mailing list for your
+language</a>.</p>
 
-<p>Our FAQ will answer many of your questions.  You can view it at
-<a href="$(HOME)/doc/FAQ/">http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/</a>.
-You can also get the PostScript, text and packed-up HTML versions from the
-FTP site at
-<a href="ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/FAQ/">ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/FAQ/</a>.
+<hrline>
 
+<ul>
+  <li><a href="#generalinfo">General information</a>
+  <li><a href="#installuse">Installing and Using Debian</a>
+  <li><a href="#press">Publicity / Press</a>
+  <li><a href="#helping">Helping Debian</a>
+  <li><a href="#packageproblems">Reporting problems in Debian packages</a>
+  <li><a href="#development">Debian Development</a>
+  <li><a href="#infrastructure">Problems with Debian infrastructure</a>
+</ul>
 
-<H2>Installing and Using Debian</H2>
+<hrline>
+
+<H2><a name="generalinfo">General Information</a></H2>
+
+<p>Most of the information about Debian is collected on our web site,
+<a href="$(HOME)">http://www.debian.org/</a>, so please browse and
+<a href="$(SEARCH)">search</a> through it before contacting us.
+
+<p>Our <a href="doc/FAQ/">FAQ</a> will answer many of your questions.
+You can also get the PostScript, text and packed-up HTML versions of that
+document from <a href="ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/FAQ/">the FTP site</a>.
+
+<p>Questions regarding the Debian Project in general can be sent to the
+<em>debian-project</em> mailing list, at
+<a href="mailto:debian-project@lists.debian.org">debian-project@lists.debian.org</a>.
+Please don't send questions about using Linux to that list; read on
+below for that.
+
+<H2><a name="installuse">Installing and Using Debian</a></H2>
 
 <p>If you are certain the documentation on the installation media and on our
 web site doesn't have a solution to your problem, there's a very active user
-mailing list where Debian users and developers can answer your questions.
-Simply <a href="$(HOME)/MailingLists/subscribe#debian-user">subscribe to
-<em>debian-user</em></a> and send your question to
-<a href="mailto:debian-user@lists.debian.org">debian-user@lists.debian.org</a>.
+mailing list where Debian users and developers can answer your questions,
+the <em>debian-user</em> mailing list.
 All questions regarding
 <UL>
   <LI>installation
@@ -29,7 +55,10 @@ All questions regarding
   <LI>machine administration
   <LI>using Debian
 </UL>
-should be sent to <em>debian-user</em> mailing list.
+should be sent to that list.
+Simply <a href="MailingLists/subscribe#debian-user">subscribe to
+<em>debian-user</em></a> and send your question to
+<a href="mailto:debian-user@lists.debian.org">debian-user@lists.debian.org</a>.
 
 <p>Additionally, there are user mailing lists for speakers of various
 languages. See the <a href="MailingLists/subscribe#int">subscription info
@@ -42,63 +71,71 @@ or <a href="Bugs/Reporting">file a bug report</a> against the <a
 href="http://bugs.debian.org/boot-floppies">boot-floppies</a>
 pseudo-package.
 
+<H2><a name="press">Publicity / Press</a></H2>
 
-<H2>Debian Development</H2>
+<p>Those requesting information for articles or submitting news for our
+news page should contact our <a href="mailto:press@debian.org">publicity
+department</a>.
 
-<p>Please note that although many developers are not native speakers of English, it is
-the common language for all development work. We therefore ask that initial enquiries
-to developers be made in English. If this is not possible, go through the user mailing
-list for your language.
+<H2><a name="helping">Helping Debian</a></H2>
 
-<p>If you have a more development related question, there is a mailing list the developers
-use to communicate with each other.
-Simply <a href="MailingLists/subscribe#debian-devel">subscribe</a> to
-<em>debian-devel</em> and then send e-mail to
-<a href="mailto:debian-devel@lists.debian.org">debian-devel@lists.debian.org</a>.
+<p>If you would like to contact Debian to offer help, please see the
+<a href="devel/join/">possible ways of helping</a> first.
+
+<p>If you would like to maintain a Debian mirror, see the pages about
+<a href="mirror/">mirroring Debian</a>. New mirrors are submitted using
+<a href="mirror/submit">this form</a>. Problems with existing mirrors
+can be reported at <a href="mailto:mirrors@debian.org">mirrors@debian.org</a>.
 
-<p>If you would like to file a bug against a Debian package, see
-<a href="$(HOME)/Bugs/Reporting">http://www.debian.org/Bugs/Reporting</a> or
-<a href="ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/bug-reporting.txt">ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/bug-reporting.txt</a>
-for instructions.  Submitting bugs can be made easier by installing the
-Debian package <em>bug</em> or <em>reportbug</em>.
+<p>If you would like to sell Debian CDs, see the <a href="distrib/cdinfo">\
+information for CD vendors</a>. To get listed on the CD vendor list, please
+<a href="distrib/vendors#newvendors">follow the instructions</a>.
+
+<H2><a name="packageproblems">Reporting problems in Debian packages</a></H2>
+
+<p>If you would like to file a bug against a Debian package, we have a bug
+tracking system where you can easily report your problem. Please read the
+<a href="Bugs/Reporting">instructions for filing bug reports</a>.
+
+<p>If you simply want to communicate with the maintainer of a Debian
+package, then you can use the special mail aliases set up for each package.
+Any mail sent to &lt;<var>package name</var>&gt;@packages.debian.org will be
+forwarded to the maintainer responsible for that package.
 
 <p>If you would like to make the developers aware of a Debian security
 problem in a discreet manner, send e-mail to
 <a href="mailto:security@debian.org">security@debian.org</a>.
 
+<H2><a name="development">Debian Development</a></H2>
 
-<H2>Publicity</H2>
+<p>If you have questions that are more development related, there are
+several <a href="MailingLists/subscribe#devel">development mailing lists</a>
+in Debian that you can use to contact our developers.
 
-<p>Those requesting information for articles or submitting news for our news
-page should contact our <a href="mailto:press@debian.org">publicity
-department</a>.  Please use the English language for your enquiry.
-Other languages will result in confusion and delays.
+<p>The general development mailing list is <em>debian-devel</em>: you can
+<a href="MailingLists/subscribe#debian-devel">subscribe</a> to it and
+then send e-mail to
+<a href="mailto:debian-devel@lists.debian.org">debian-devel@lists.debian.org</a>.
+
+<H2><a name="infrastructure">Problems with Debian infrastructure</a></H2>
 
+<p>To report a problem with a Debian service, you can usually
+<a href="Bugs/Reporting">report a bug</a> against the appropriate
+<a href="Bugs/pseudo-packages">pseudo-package</a>.
 
-<H2>Commonly Requested Addresses</H2>
+<p>Alternatively, use e-mail to contact them:
 
 <dl>
-<dt>Getting help with using Debian</dt>
-  <dd><a href="mailto:debian-user@lists.debian.org">debian-user@lists.debian.org</a></dd>
-<dt>General information about the Debian Project</dt>
-  <dd><a href="mailto:debian-project@lists.debian.org">debian-project@lists.debian.org</a></dd>
-<dt>Mailing List Administrators</dt>
-  <dd><a href="mailto:listmaster@lists.debian.org">listmaster@lists.debian.org</a></dd>
-<dt>Mailing List Archives</dt>
-  <dd><a href="mailto:listarchives@debian.org">listarchives@debian.org</a></dd>
-<dt>Bug Tracking System (and its web pages)</dt>
-  <dd><a href="mailto:owner@bugs.debian.org">owner@bugs.debian.org</a></dd>
-<dt>Web Pages</dt>
+<dt>Web pages editors</dt>
   <dd><a href="mailto:debian-www@lists.debian.org">debian-www@lists.debian.org</a></dd>
-<dt>Developers' Database Web Pages</dt>
+<dt>Developers' database administrators</dt>
   <dd><a href="mailto:admin@db.debian.org">admin@db.debian.org</a></dd>
-<dt>Mirroring Debian</dt>
-  <dd>See the pages on <a href="mirror/">mirroring Debian</a> or contact the
-  <a href="mailto:mirrors@debian.org">mirror list administrators</a>.</dd>
-<dt>Selling Debian CDs</dt>
-  <dd>See the <a href="distrib/cdinfo">information for CD vendors</a>.
-  Information regarding new vendors is sent to
-  <a href="mailto:cdvendors@debian.org">cdvendors@debian.org</a>.</dd>
+<dt>Mailing list archives maintainers</dt>
+  <dd><a href="mailto:listarchives@debian.org">listarchives@debian.org</a></dd>
+<dt>Mailing list administrators</dt>
+  <dd><a href="mailto:listmaster@lists.debian.org">listmaster@lists.debian.org</a></dd>
+<dt>Bug tracking system administrators</dt>
+  <dd><a href="mailto:owner@bugs.debian.org">owner@bugs.debian.org</a></dd>
 </dl>
 
 <p>We also have a complete list of different <a href="intro/organization">