Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 11:26:14 -0700 (PDT) From: David Wolfskill <dhw@whistle.com> To: fewtch@serv.net, freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Newbies - "Handle me with care?" Message-ID: <199806221826.LAA29227@pau-amma.whistle.com>
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>Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 02:22:24 -0700 >From: Tim Gerchmez <fewtch@serv.net> >It's funny how Sue Blake and I have diametrically opposed philosophies >regarding how newbies should deal with BSD: I think it's a false dichotomy. Folks who are experimenting or tinkering for its own sake should certainly feel free to do anything they want to/with their systems -- but if they're to do anything more useful than dabbling with Legos or making sand-castles, it would be appropriate for them to learn about the systems somewhat first. A good way to do this is by reading the documentation that's available -- in the case of FreeBSD, both FreeBSD-specific stuff as well as more generic *BSD- (& UNIX-) related things (the O'Reilly books, for example). Oh, yeah -- in the specific case of FreeBSD, it is becoming apparent to me that intimate knowledge of PC hardware esoterica is useful, and there are chunks of documentation that tend to assume that one has some familiarity with Microsoft environments (presumably for reasons, though these elude me). Folks who are building systems that will be used by others to do useful or important work should be a bit more methodical -- as should folks who actually hope to learn something from what they experience. Please note that one reason for learning about the experiences of others is so one may manage to avoid repeating others' mistakes. (Of course, if someone is bound and determined to make a mistake that someone else made & documented, perhaps just because said person wants to experience the mistake first-hand... well, fine, I guess... but the degree to which I'd be interested in helping a person with such a perverse desire is quite minimal.) This distinction isn't between (FreeBSD) "newbies" and others; further, I state (yet again) that "newbies" aren't necessarily all: * Already familiar with Microsoft environments * Already familiar with PC hardware * Clueless about UNIX (or other multi-user systems). Different folks have different backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses. I would *think* that the sole "requirement" to be considered an appropriate target (hmmmm...) for a list called "freebsd-newbies" would be lack of familiarity with the FreeBSD variant of UNIX (or an interest in the trials & tribulations of those who are thus deprived of experience). I'm certainly willing to be convinced otherwise. david -- David Wolfskill UNIX System Administrator dhw@whistle.com voice: (650) 577-7158 pager: (650) 371-4621 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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