For the Newbies

Jeff Vian jvian10 at charter.net
Fri Feb 27 22:10:29 UTC 2004


Austin Isler wrote:

> I didnt like his shell example reading "lostchild". First I am new to 
> Linux. Second I have been using computers since MS-DOS 5. Third I am 
> no child. Since Micro$oft is a software giant and has the money for 
> ads, you can not judge people because they only know of Windows.
>
> Austin
> Alexandre Strube wrote:
>
>> Em Qui, 2004-02-26 às 13:42, Wayde Gutman escreveu:
>>  
>>
>>> My impression from fedora-list emails that many of the users of FC1 and
>>> FC2 are from the GUI generation, e.t., Windows. I have been a computer
>>> user since MS-DOS 3.3 days, as far as I am concerned, if you had never
>>> used DOS, you are at a disadvantage.
>>>   
>>
>>
>> I've been using computers since mainframe and those perfurated cards,
>> not to say altair and zx stuff. But my mother uses them for, say, 3
>> years, and I'm glad that GUI stuff evolved so much she can use Fedora. I
>> wouldn't put redhat 7 on a computer to her.
>>
>> And I doubt she will never need anything on command-line. Openoffice,
>> gnome, mozilla, evolution and frozen-bubble are more than enough :-)
>>
I agree about not prejudging people.
However, what I often see is that many people make no effort to help 
themselves and expect someone else to hold their hands when doing 
something new.  

A poster in a different thread mentioned that he would like to be able 
to give a user a hint in the right dirrection (paraphrased) rather than 
provide a step by step procedure for solving the problem
This is similar to the idea of:  "Give a man a fish and he eats for a 
day.  Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime"

Some people are only willing to do something if they are forced to do 
so, and others only need a hint in where to look an dthey will do it 
themselves with others somewhere between.  I have seen both extremes on 
this list, and the people providing help also are spread across the 
spectrum of philosophies.

I personally both prefer the hint and like to provide the hint.  I like 
to learn and become independent.  We all would be better if everyone did 
the same but not everyone is the same so we have to deal with all types.

The poster providing the example gives both an idea of where to look and 
what it should look like and to anyone with an idea of learning it was 
all that should have been needed.

Just my $.02

Jeff





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