[plug] [OT] Rant: plug at plug postings

[Alex Polglaze]

Craig Ringer wrote:
>
>>  - They sit at work, reading the documentation for some software that
>>    they currently use or that they have been alerted to.
>>  - Upon finding their needs clearly documented, they then post a message
>>    to this list (from their work mail addresses) asking a question whose
>>    most likely answer is a reference back to that exact documentation
>>    and product.
>>  - We fall for it, hook, line, and sinker.
> 
> 
> As it happens, my work email address is my only email address. It stays 
> constant over the years, as I change ISPs etc. Its much easier than 
> running a local mailserver at home, esp with the lovely reliability 
> (not!) of the ADSL network. I acccess work's IMAP and SMTP server from 
> home via an ssh tunnel. So what? Does the From: address represent a 
> statement of what my purpose is? Or is it just an address, that happens 
> to tell you that I work for the POST Newspapers, but that's it? Am I not 
> allowed to have linux as a hobby too because I don't have another email 
> address?
> 
> I'm not sure exactly what you're saying above James. If somebody reads 
> the documentation and just can't figure out what is going on, isn't it 
> perfectly fair to post to PLUG asking for help? Isn't that what we all 
> do sometimes? What is there to "fall for ..., hook line and sinker"?
> 
> Sorry if this message is overly irate, but there were some real 
> hot-button items here. I thought it best to see if somebody cares to 
> explain exactly what I'm missing.

I agree with Craig's sentiments. Perhaps in an effort to level the 
playing filed, we should also abolish student discounts and reduced fees 
and just let everybody ask and receive.

This is a group, or at least I thought it was a group, where the 
ultimate aim is to get as many people, businesses and individuals, using 
Linux.

The more that people that use it, the more work there will be for people 
who know what they're doing. The more work there is, the more people 
required, the more people required, the more training that needs to be 
done. The more training required, the more courses available.

But alas, I feel that I may be wrong.

Perhaps it IS just a "boys" club, ot should I say an "exclusive" club 
where non "geeks" need not apply. I have been wrong before, once.


Alex