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Date:      Wed, 11 Jun 1997 08:25:24 +0800 (TSD)
From:      "Victor A. Sudakov" <vas@vas.tomsk.su>
To:        jsuter@linus.intrastar.net (Jacob Suter)
Cc:        isp@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Internet providers discouraging customers from unix
Message-ID:  <199706110025.IAA03060@vas.tomsk.su>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.95q.970610155255.2132A-100000@linus.intrastar.net> from "Jacob Suter" at "Jun 10, 97 05:57:18 pm"

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Jacob Suter wrote:
> My point (as the support personel of intrastar.net)...  morons shouldn't
> use unix...  If I have a user that calls and does something to the tune of
> "I GOT MY (unix type) CD TODAY - PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO EXPLOIT SOMETHING
> COOL!" I'm not going to be super-keen on telling this person what to
> do.Unix IMHO is for elite people, not for lowly lamer people (ie - the guy

I do not mean that you should spend your personal time on teaching
neophytes. However, when an ISP refuses to tell the customer the parameters
of the ppp connection he is offering for fear of this customer installing
unix, or uses some other clever tricks with incompatibility etc. - this is
an outrage.

And another point.

While unix experts keep telling that unix is for elite people while Bill
Gates keeps saying that NT is for the masses, it is very easy to predict
which OS is going to win. It is happening already. Everybody knows that unix
is cool and everybody uses NT. If the unix people do not change their
attitude, unix is doomed.

And yet another note.

Concerning the question of helping unix neophytes. Has the spirit of
commerce penetrated so deeply into the internet world? Is the spirit of
cooperation and mutual help gone forever? Maybe I shall pay when someone
helps me with my problems on the Usenet or Fidonet, and charge money when I
help someone? I have noticed an interesting thing (nothing personal) - the
more skilled the admin is, the more willing he/she is to help others. And if
the admin is a lamer himself - he hides behind this
unix-is-not-for-lame-people attitude.

In your case, if I were in your shoes, if such a neophyte as you have
described above, calls you and asks "how to exploit something cool",  I
would advise him/her some good books on Unix and man pages ;-)))

-- 
Victor Sudakov
http://www.tomsk.su/r/persons/vas.htm



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