[plug] Universities and the pecking order

[Ben Jensz]

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Bromberger" <james at rcpt.to>
To: <plug at plug.linux.org.au>
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2001 11:09 PM
Subject: Re: [plug] Universities and the pecking order

> Which, I think you'll find, is helped by turning up to the PLUG meetings
> and talking to people. You'll find people actually like to be asked
things.
> They like giving out answers. PLUG is not just a mailing list. Its an
> excuse to leech information off others and discuss your problems with
> peers. Anyone who feels this, come along to the next meeting. There's
> one on Monday at UCC at UWA. That's an informal problem solving session.
> Its a great opportunity to ask the questions tete-a-tete, and help you
> get over the "base knowledge". Some people laugh at the base knowledge
> thing; probably because they had to battle to get over it themselves
> 5 - 10 years ago. Perhaps they lots lots of time/data/money because of
> it, and now they think you should "share the pain". Bwhaha. Or they
> just have scary memories of such times. Prod people, ask questions,
> and more than likely you'll be flooded with answers.

Only problem I have with doing that is about 2200km :)  (Broome)

I might come along to one if there is one on when I'm down there for 2 weeks
in December if I get around to it :)


> And there are always areas that will remain like that, but as you glow
> brighter the darkness diminishes. I am still scared of kernel source.
> Others may care to admit this too. Sendmail.cf (the configuraiton
> file for the popular sendmail mail server appliction (MTA)) scares me.
> So dive in: read on-line, ask questions. Personally, I like buying
O'Rieley
> books on these topics that have me stumped. Find someone who has done
this,
> and trade them beers (or cidre, wine, or spirits) for borrowing time. ;)

Thats similar to what I've done.. I went out and bought some books to get
that base knowledge, and now some documentation actually makes sense to me,
where it didn't before. :)  I don't like Sendmail.cf either, but then
again.. I don't like Sendmail, my SMTP daemon of choice is Postfix.  I
almost always download the source and re-compile a new kernel, because the
default kernels that come with Red Hat (which is the distro I use the most
atm) can be pretty horrid.


/ Ben