Richard Fieldsend wrote:
Dear All, as someone who has watched this list from the sidelines for a long time here are my thoughts on this thread.
One of the *brilliant* things about open source and mailing lists like this one is how you can find the answers to so many problems with your software from those more knowledgeable than you (I have Anders to thank for at least one Emacs install fix!).
However, if I'm trying to persaude others to follow me down the Linux route, one of the problems I have is that often newbies are put off by the attitude of more experienced users. I'm a tech support person, and I learned a long time ago that you need to frame questions in a particular way to ensure that you get a reasonable response. However, I'm sure not everyone has that same knowledge. Those who don't shouldn't be flamed for asking a question out of turn (even if the answer is RTFM). If we make Open Source a scary place to be then people are going to stay with their buggy, dreadful XP stuff cos at least its got cuddly icons and a cuddly paperclip!
Just my tuppence worth...
Take Care
Richard
I've found that the preponderence of experienced Linux users/kernel developers/application developers will go out of their way to help constructively. Very few treat newcomers as fools. As a Tech Support person, I had people worldwide throw all kinds of problems my way, Sun/Fujitsu Solaris servers and software, IBM/Amdahl mainframe problems and it was always my duty to supply an answer through research, conferring with subject-matter specialists and using my own fund of knowledge. I see the same with Linux from the very first version Linus put up for ftp, the detractors were and are few. I've helped many in my time and they have been gracious. In the same bag as the flamers you'll find the ones who rubbish Linux, threaten to go back to XP if no one comes up with a fix for their specific problem pronto and that's surely the way to invite severe flames in return. It's been reassuring to have got a phone call from Germany last week from my former Manager who had a problem with SuSE 9.1, he called me in preference to going to the list first as he knew I'd pull all the stops out to help. If someone is weak enough to ditch Linux beause he got a reply from an idiot, then he too is an idiot and is welcomed to go back to sleep-land. Just reading this list in the last week, some people have had protracted problems, stuck with the suggestions, got them fixed and learned something new, as did many experiened people. I don't think we have to change one thing, we are doing just fine the way things are. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce .... Hamradio G3VBV and keen Flyer =====LINUX ONLY USED HERE=====