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

[Carl D Cravens <raven@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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

> Never once did I claim to have been passive in my approach to learning.
> You are fond of comparisons so picture being taught calculus by a
> 4-year-old who simply says "the information is in the book.  don't bother
> me with questions."  

That's not what you're being told.  You're being told to read the book,
then ask what you don't understand.  You're being told, "Don't bother me
with questions that are answered in the book.  If you've read the book,
tell me what you don't understand about it." 

> I've expended waaay too much time on both LINUX and this thread.  You
> can take my word for the fact that I've some unresolved mental
> obstacle to some facet of LINUX and that I've met with mostly
> uncooperative responses to my questions, or don't take it.  

I'll take your word for it, but that isn't what you told us earlier.  (If
you've said it earlier than this weekend, I've either not noticed or
remembered it.)  You told us that you couldn't be bothered to read the
documentation, but would rather have someone tell you just what you needed
to know.

If you've read the documentation and don't understand it, that's one
thing... and I for one am quite willing to help someone who doesn't
understand.  It's the not taking the time to read the documentation that
bothers me.  If you're asking for help and you *have* read the
documentation, it's always a good idea to say so, and indicate what
portion of the documentation you don't understand.  Head the RTFM off at
the pass, then you won't get RTFM followed by silence. 

> I'll find my own solutions at this point or they'll go unresolved.

If you must.  But I'll take a crack at any problems you have if you're
having trouble understanding the documentation.  (I'll admit that too much
of the documentation is written by geeks for geeks... it takes a certain
amount of experience to really understand some of it.  And some of it
(like HP-UX man pages) isn't very well written, even for geeks.  But
that's the place one should start.  Reading difficult man pages and FAQ's 
is the only way to begin understanding them.  I just wish that man page
authors would use examples.)  

--
Carl D Cravens (raven@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Hey! We're out of wine, women, and song! !@#$*!?% NO MERRIER


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