Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:06:46 -0800 From: "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm@toybox.placo.com> To: <adamnealis@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: Graham Bentley <gbentley@uk2.net>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: RE: FreeBSD vs Linux Message-ID: <LOBBIFDAGNMAMLGJJCKNAEFFFDAA.tedm@toybox.placo.com> In-Reply-To: <43D213DE.6080604@yahoo.co.uk>
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>-----Original Message----- >From: Adam Nealis [mailto:adamnealis@yahoo.co.uk] >Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 2:59 AM >To: Ted Mittelstaedt >Cc: Graham Bentley; freebsd-questions@freebsd.org >Subject: Re: FreeBSD vs Linux > > >I disagree with that. The guidelines for using this list recommend >searching it first for answers. As you probably know, a fairly standard >guideline in internet mailing lists is for newcomers to "lurk". > >I have seen the subject of this thread many, many times. > >It is reasonably assumed that responsible internet users know to read >the guidelines first. The idea is to both reduce repetition of >questions, and to help the newcomer/ lurker to determine if this >question has already been answered to their satisfaction faster than by >posting to the list. > Except that both FreeBSD and Linux are constantly changing. Problems that are cited in one discussion are often taken care of or become moot issues because of other changes. If both the FreeBSD and Linux distributions were static and never changed then you would be correct, the answer is in the archives, dig it out. But that is not the case. Frankly, arguments like "Is abortion right or wrong" are based on issues that are far, far, far more static than either FreeBSD or Linux, yet those constantly come up over and over again in the public eye. >> If we as the FreeBSD community cannot answer that question, then why >> are we wasting our time with it? > >The question is too general. There are too many answers. It depends on >context and depends on what one views as "better". It is very >_subjective_. > I didn't say it was a good question, I said it was a legitimate question. Big difference. If you have ever worked a technical support desk you would know the difference between these types of questions. If you want to offer support to a questioner asking which is better, you need to explain why the question needs to be narrowed down and the only way to do this is to engage in a 2-way dialog with the questioner to find out what he needs. I think the problem with the "which is better" question in the group is that in the past, far too often, it's been trolls asking this question. They ask then when people try to engage them in a 2-way discussion they remain silent, or reply with irrelevant or completely stupid and idiotic responses. And unfortunately, a lot of axe-grinders on the list like to respond to trolls. But you don't want to lose sight of the fact that sometimes, the poster is simply ignorant of FreeBSD and Linux, and is asking this question because they simply don't know any better. Ted
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