Rick Thompson wrote:
> dizzy:
>
> Let's not generalize >too< much. I can remember several years ago when I
> was struggling to grasp Linux concepts. I think a gentle push in the
> direction of the applicable documentation will not only answer the question
> asked, and increase that persons general knowledge of whats really going on
> inside the box....but also foster a general feeling of good will.
>
> :-)
>
> Rick
You're both right of course. I often feel there are so many general newbie "how
do I turn the computer on" questions that it devalues the list. And it's
heightened by the occasional poster who obviously just wants thousands of
pounds/dollars/deutchmarks worth of network security consultancy or whatever for
nothing. That sort of stuff really does rankle, you can always smell a
freeloader from a mile away.
But there are many people who do want to learn but despite havinf looked at all
the documentation just can't find a way into it because it's simply not
accessible to anyone without a certain amount of background experience. I've
been in this situation myself many, many times. Let's try to bite our tongues
and point to some relevant dummy's guide documentation where it exists. If there
isn't any, well IMHO it would be a great service to the community at large if
someone were to write it. Often all it takes is a couple of pages to provide an
overview, define some basic terminology and provide URLs for further reading.
It's wasteful really to post such works to a mailing list where they often just
get lost. Much better to put it up on the web or ftp site somewhere and just
post a URL instead.
I may have a go at starting up a website devoted to dummy-type documentation
later this year. If anyone is interested in contributing please let me know.
Ralph Clark
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Ralph Clark, Virgo Solutions Ltd (UK)
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