[aclug-L] Re: Cool new fan site....hehe

[Carl D Cravens <raven@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 15 Apr 2000, Jeffrey L. Hansen wrote:

> This one brings up an interesting point that keeps stunting my LINUX
> growth.  The "RTFM" anthem, while nice for a good giggle among the
> knowing, is frustrating beyond comprehension to the poor guy who asks the
> "well documented" question.  I don't have the time to RTFM and was hoping
> to maybe get the basics of the operating system from those who are more
> blessed with time to dedicate to computers.  

If you don't have time to RTFM, you don't have time to learn the details
of Linux.  RTFM isn't for "a good giggle among the knowing"... it's the
key to learning.  Excuse me for being blunt, but that's just the way it
is.  A user group isn't there to hold your hand through every operation...
it's there to get you pointed in the right direction and help out when you
get stuck.  And getting you pointed in the right direction is telling you
to RTFM if you haven't done so already.

Imagine that you're taking a college course and in the middle of lecture
you ask the professor to explain what it is he's talking about.  He
replies that it's in the reading.  You explain that you don't have the
time to read the book, so you'd appreciate it if he'd kindly explain just
enough of it to you that you can squeek by without reading the book.  

What's your professor going to do?  He's going to tell you to read the
assignment, that he doesn't have time to help you if you aren't willing to
help yourself.  And this guy's getting *paid* to teach you.  The guys in
the user group aren't. 

If you haven't got the time to help yourself, why should anybody else take
the time to help you?

I'm really sorry to sound like an a-hole, but that's the bare truth of
it.  You get out of it what you put into it.  If you insist on making
volunteers do the work for you, you're just going to drag them down and
burn them out that much faster.  

> incomprehensible to me from the start.  I'm about to give Solaris a try
> just to see if that's any better.

It won't be.  Unix is Unix, regardless of the flavor, and it has a steep
learning curve.  

--
Carl D Cravens (raven@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Madness takes its toll...please have exact change.


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