On Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 4:05:43 PM UTC+5:30, Steve D'Aprano wrote: > On Wed, 6 Dec 2017 02:49 pm, Rustom Mody wrote: > > > You are assuming that the strangeness of the request is about 'tech' > > [engineering/tech existed centuries before computers] > > > > Do remember one can be a tech-{student,professional} without > > - ever having encountered free-software > > - internet/USENET culture > > > > … from which pov the request would not look so odd > > So you're suggesting that rather than being unwilling to google for "Download > Python" because he doesn't understand free software culture, the OP is > unwilling to google for "Download Python" because he thinks it is proprietary > software and wants a bunch of strangers on the Internet to send him a pirate > copy? > > I'm not entirely sure that's better...
Dunno anything about OP so no 'suggesting'… I did hint one point above which can be restated more explicitly. An engineering degree (aka “B.Tech”) can be in any of - IT, CS, Computer Engineering etc - aeronautics, civil, electrical, mechanical… classical, non-computer related - bioinformatics, statistics, "scientific computing" etc ie heavy-duty *users* of computers For the latter two classes it would be normal/natural for the student to have little knowledge/interest in computer-related stuff except as a user. Are you interested in the latest disk-drive technology? power-supplies? kernel? systemd-vs-sysv? We use these all the time. Likewise these other fields are *users* of computers. Inter alia I will mention: I have a colleague working on ACM's next curriculum And the inter-disciplinarity of CS is the next big deal it would appear. ie "unwilling to google" could well be "ignorant of google (usage/practices)" Do consider the possibility that a student could be a non-owner of a computer and/or studying in a college in a poor/non networked location. So… So while the specific slurs/attacks on some country are of near-zero interest to me — to support or oppose — the deeper divisions and inequities are (IMHO) more important. So here's a little statistical exercise for you: - Take any demographic of your choice containing programmers. - Compute the male/female programmers in that population - Now come to this list and work out the same ratio - How do these ratios compare? [When's the last time a woman appeared here?] IOW I would wish Ethan's "control yourself" to be imperated — preferably by oneself, if not then forcibly. And especially when the vitriol is flung at a first-time poster. -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list