On 23 Dec 2008, at 12:25, Paul Makepeace wrote:
On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 12:16 PM, Peter Corlett <ab...@cabal.org.uk>
wrote:
On Mon, Dec 22, 2008 at 01:32:20PM +0000, Andy Wardley wrote:
[...]
* Knowing where to look for documentation and how to read it.
Anything I've missed?
A big lump of clue-by-four to reiterate that last point, applied
repeatedly
until it registers, or until they stop pestering you to give the
answers on
a plate.
"Spoonfeeding" people at the beginning is a very powerful teaching
technique, primarily as it builds confidence and familiarity. The
volume of
information required at the beginning of learning a subject can be
totally
overwhelming, and oral transmission of that knowledge is for many
people
orders of magnitude more effective than reading docs.
Besides, getting the response "RTFM!" is a total turn-off, even for a
seasoned pro.
And more to the point, "RTFM" is just plain rude.
Chris
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