On December 12, 2002 01:02 am, Meliton wrote: <snip> > > Open minds, perhaps. But in my opinion the driving force behind the > amazing support one gets on Linux is fundamentally egoistic: it feels > good to help someone out, specially when they ask nicely. It also > implies a touch of vanity, not as in posing, rather an intimate thing, > the satisfaction of knowing oneself useful. > > Don't get me wrong on egoism, I'm all in favour. It's the only natural > thing, we all act in our own interests. Volunteers who go off to poor > countries to help people are just being egoistic, in my view, and that > doesn't make them bad people. > > Lets all keep at it, this egoism thing rocks. > > Meliton.
[rant alert] Subjective observations. Caveat: Since I know myself so well and have analyzed who and what I am to an absurd degree; nearly any question I pose here is rhetorical, _for me._ The answers are readily apparent from my perspective. You'll have to answer any you may find intriguing for yourself. I do as much as I can to help others with installing, and using, Open Source Software, simply because I feel an obligation. To myself. I've received help from "the community" since I became curious about GNU/Linux, that curiosity was often partially satisfied by answers from people on mailing lists and help forum web sites. Even the RTFM/STFW style answer usually told me something I needed to know. However those answers never quite felt sufficient since, due to personal time constraints, or other factors, others may not have been able to sort through thousands of pages of manuals or web 'how-to pages'; or may just require a more finely directed as to *what* to read. Taking the arrogance out of the elitist style answers above comes closer to meeting my self imposed obligation to try to share knowledge. Does this fit your mold of egoism and it's resultant behaviors? Or is egoism as an answer appearing as to flip, to simplistic to fit the record? Installations aren't always permanent among a few of the friends and acquaintances that I've helped. Repetitious yes. Permanent....? The reasons are myriad, but the underlying theme nearly always has been in the form of; "but I didn't have to know how Windows does this. It's too hard." My answer is almost always; "Does any release of Windows allow secure multi-user/multi-tasking computing _when it's running as a default installation_?" I think everyone here knows that answer. Other favorite answers; "If it's so hard how can I run without Windows?" "Which of the last 10 virii/trojans/worms affected your computer and/or did you have to re-install and have you lost data and time because of it?" These are very rare occurrences in Open Source Operating System environments simply because the developers don't expect that you stay ignorant as to what happens when you push that power on button. In fact they almost _demand_ that you _not_ remain uninformed. By default GNU/Linux seems to make the assumption that you're willing and able to learn at least a few basic facts. The longer the development process continues, and the more people that switch, the fewer the 'basics' that are required just to be a user. Windows developers, and the Microsoft Corporation, actually want you to stay 'stuck on stupid' for life. It's safer for them. Who benefits? In light of the above; and my sense of obligation to pass on the little I've learned, does it benefit *me,* primarily through feeling good about it, or is it self preservation to help to teach others to break this particular trap? This thing that was started to facilitate military communication (the internet) has been deeded to us all for our use. Does it not seem therefore that we all have an obligation to learn to use it safely and properly, and to protect the right to use it freely? Is it not a 'battlefield' for freedom? Of expression, ideas, _knowledge_? Information exchange without threat of censorship or repression? Do we not want to control our own lives and the ability to communicate as _we_ choose? Therefore my sense of obligation. What of your egoism now? [\rant alert] Sorry about that, but it seems someone pushed one of my buttons. :-) Regards; -- Charlie Edmonton,AB,Canada Registered user 244963 at http://counter.li.org The person you rejected yesterday could make you happy, if you say yes.
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