[aklug] Re: Basic Linux information

The great thing about linux + internet is you can contribute from the
other side of the planet. JUneau is just down the road, er.. airway.

Larry

James Zuelow wrote:
>> Quite frankly, I think the so-called "geek" community needs=20
>> to be ashamed of
>> themselves. Geeks used to be hackers, but now they're not. =20
>> They're users.
>> Users with little inclination to learn, break things apart,=20
>> and build new=20
>> things. In short, if we had to start the Linux revolution=20
>> all over today,
>> it wouldn't happen, becuase we simply don't have the people interested
>> enough to make it so.
>> =20
>> So, you want to call RTFM elitism? I call RTFM a base=20
>> expectation. If
>> someone RTFMs and still doesn't understand, I'm more than=20
>> happy to explain.
>> But if you're not willing to RTFM, you had better be an aging=20
>> relative, or
>> don't expect to be spoon fed. I don't have the energy to do=20
>> that beyond my
>> bloodlines.
>>
>
> Here we finally get to the meat of the question Jon asked:
>
>
>
>> What is our goal?
>>
>
>
>> Jon
>>
>
> If you want to be a group of hackers, programmers, and generally awesome te=
> chnical wizards, then RTFM is great. Of course, even then it is helpful to=
> tell said luser where the FM is in the first place or that it exists. (No=
> t everyone thinks to do a `man .k5login`) I see lots of RTFM replies that =
> assume a level of knowledge that just isn't there, leaving poor luser to wa=
> nder in the desert until someone takes pity on them or they give up.
>
> If you want to be a teaching group, building a community of users, you will=
> need some patience to get said users past the neophyte stage and into the =
> stage where they are productively using Linux. Not necessarily scripting t=
> heir own encrypted rsync backups, but just using some sort of office suite =
> in Gnome or KDE, watching the odd DVD and being happy.
>
> Which approach is going to be more successful is open to debate. (I guess =
> since Ubuntu has been a dismal failure, while the Slackware 12 release just=
> about crashed the internet shows that most new Linux users prefer the RTFM=
> approach.)
>
> The idea of splitting the mailing list has come up before -- aklug-tech vs =
> aklug-discuss. Maybe you guys should discuss that again at the next Friday=
> night, since it seems that the group is split.
>
> My personal opinion is that since the group is named the Alaska Linux **Use=
> rs** Group, you should at least make some effort at accomodating new users =
> who might need some hand-holding. But as a non-Anchorageite I'm not sure m=
> y opinion carries any weight with the group. :)
>
> James
>
>
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Received on Wed Sep 16 15:36:45 2009