From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jun 23 13:11:10 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CC5A516A41C for ; Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:11:10 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from calculus@softhome.net) Received: from astro.systems.pipex.net (astro.systems.pipex.net [62.241.163.6]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 709AD43D53 for ; Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:11:10 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from calculus@softhome.net) Received: from SPECULUSHX1THE (81-178-187-76.dsl.pipex.com [81.178.187.76]) by astro.systems.pipex.net (Postfix) with SMTP id 81C02E000155; Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:11:06 +0100 (BST) Message-ID: <012501c577f5$0a4516c0$0201a8c0@SPECULUSHX1THE> From: "cali" To: "Giorgos Keramidas" References: <42BA8F5D.5040504@pacific.net.sg> <011001c577e9$f2412c90$0201a8c0@SPECULUSHX1THE> <20050623120105.GA17140@orion.daedalusnetworks.priv> Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:11:14 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2527 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2527 Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Explaining FreeBSD features X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:11:10 -0000 > I'm not watching the entire thread, so what I write below may seem a bit > out of context. On the other hand, this particular post shows some of > the few points I don't like about a stream of "RTFM" responses. > > You seem to overvalue "ridicule", IMHO. I was trying to illustrate the ridicule case rather than explicitly advocate it, but perhaps I came across as being too strong of an advocate. I'm assuming that the ridicule approach does work sometimes, personally I think it worked for me to some extent. There is also the silent-ridicule approach, where it is not necessary to explicity ridicule the question bearer, under the assumption that the question bearer will eventually become self-aware of what is ridiculous, and hence self-ridicule and scutinise prior to posting. Clearly in some cases the ridicule approach can be an effective primer for this state of mind. The ridicule approach may not be the most effective primer. In many cases the ridicule will result in an increase in frustration and possibly a reduction in the users capacity to work the answer out for themselves. I think, that really only questions, whose answers cannot readily be found elsewhere, should be asked on this list. Part of the question-bearers education, whether that be from the list, or from other documentation, should result in the installation of the the solve-it-yourself mindset in their head. So that they are more tentative in their approach to asking questions, they should also become better problem solvers and FreeBSD users as a consequence of having to think for themselves. Part of the FreeBSD education should consist of informing the user how they can help themselves, and how they should seek help in the event that the self-help fails. If that education scheme was effectively employed, perhaps there wouldn't be as many "stupid" questions. But then again, perhaps this is the education, the self-realisation of this information without it explicitly being enumerated in some accesible form. Cali