[plug] Newbie Guide - The beginning

[Shayne O'Neill]

Personally, I've found that other than the deeply irritating spelling
flames or top/bottom post stuff (I remain unrepentant about top posting!
HA!) the list is a friendly one.

I've asked some pretty dumb ass questions and my observation is that folks
are happy to answer them. And If I have an answer I enjoy forwarding it.

However I do see that perhaps the list is a little intimidating for
newbies, and I really do belive (I've stated this before) that a
linux-newbies low traffic list would be a great thing. Basically we gurus
(or wanna be gurus like me!) join up, and not post long discourses on our
distro agendas OR complicated examinations of stack dumps or whatever, but
just listen in for newbie requests. Ie somewhere someone can ask questions
like "How do I read a floppy disk" without feeling like an ass.

Finally, Kev, keep in mind mate, that most of us have 9-5 jobs and heads
full of "This project is 3 weeks over schedule" stress. So while we try to
be helpfull, sometimes people blow steam inapropriately. Thats why they
keep us in the lab and away from pesky customers ;) ;) ;)

*Sidenote: My one and only experience in IT retail was a uni 2nd
hand computer sale. I lasted half a day before I closed the sale down and
left a note in the window saying "FSCK OFF YOU MINDLESS DIPSHITS! NO MORE
3 DOLLAR MICE FOR YOU!" and stormed down to the pub to get drunk and
forget it ever happened. Yeah, as you can figure , I'm a lousy salesman.
God forbid they ever give me a job at the hell desk.
In my unemployment days centrelink put me in a slave-for-the-dole program
at a charity shop. Again, lasted half a day before storming off to the
centrelink office and threatening to go bezerk if they ever tried
putting me in retail again. They actually decided it was not in my
interest to do work for the dole after that.

er... wow, my rant just went 90 degrees south then.

Summary
1) We are busy people and dont get paid for this, so sorry if folks
get abrupt.
2) A newbies list would solve this problem.

Shayne.

On Fri, 28 Jan 2005, Craig Ringer wrote:
> On Fri, 2005-01-28 at 19:47 +0800, Kev wrote:
> > I rest my case!!
>
> I suspect you may have a severe misconception about this list. It's not
> packed to the gills with Linux evangelists who think everybody should be
> using their OS of choice ... though I'd say there are more than a few
> such folks around.
>
> There are also lots here who're here to learn, to share their knowledge
> when they think they can help people out, or just for entertainment.
>
> Nobody here is being paid to field support questions that are *much*
> better answered elsewhere, or to teach people the very basics of using a
> computer. Sometimes folks may choose to, but that's their choice.
>
> My personal experience of PLUG when I was new here was pretty good.
> Often confusing, but I learned a lot, people were understanding,
> helpful, and tolerant. Then again, I wasn't coming here with the
> illusion that it was a tutorial and "conversion" group that would do
> whatever I wanted. I thought it was a group of users discussing a topic,
> and thought I could learn from that an occasionally usefully contribute.
> I didn't have any expectation that people would leap to fix my problems,
> or that it was some sort of paid-support-without-the-paying forum where
> I could demand answers or help. As a result, I've found PLUG a very
> interesting and beneficial place and I'm still here today.
>
> Thinking you can demand that the attitudes of people on this list "must
> change" to fit your notion of what this list should be about is the very
> arrogance you've been talking about in its purest form. It's also pure
> idiocy - we're a collection of individuals with different views,
> motivations, and interests.
>
> A phrase involving pots and kettles comes to mind right about now.
>
> --
> Craig Ringer
>
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