Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:26:31 -0400
From:      PJ <af.gourmet@videotron.ca>
To:        Tony McC <afmcc@btinternet.com>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: flashplugin
Message-ID:  <4AE84687.3070005@videotron.ca>
In-Reply-To: <20091028135549.2f706021@elena.home>
References:  <4AE3944A.4090602@videotron.ca> <20091025062322.GA985@sandcat> <4AE63986.6090106@videotron.ca> <20091027051352.417ce684@scorpio.seibercom.net> <1256674827.6414.8.camel@lenzinote.wrinfo> <4AE7696F.1030601@videotron.ca> <20091028125318.44ee6593@elena.home> <20091028141025.248563e3.freebsd@edvax.de> <20091028135549.2f706021@elena.home>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Tony McC wrote:
> On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:10:25 +0100
> Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> wrote:
>
>   
>> In "Windows", things don't work without thinking. The
>> misbelief that is does is grounded in the fact that
>> other people have to deal with problems, while the
>> user praises "Windows" for its easyness of use.
>>
>> In PJ's case, maybe PC-BSD is a good choice. As far as
>> I know, they offer a working "Flash" plugin that can
>> be installed by their PBI system. I haven't tested
>> this because PC-BSD with its KDE centric concept simply
>> isn't my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean that it's
>> not a good OS - hey, it's still FreeBSD. :-)
>>
>> Tony, I can understand that you might get the impression
>> that PJ doesn't have a full understanding of the concepts
>> and procedures needed to know in order to properly operate
>> FreeBSD. This may be true. But he's constantly learning
>> and understanding, and I think even with the troubles he
>> likes to use FreeBSD (PJ, correct me if I'm wrong).
>>
>> When I came to FreeBSD (from a Linux and WEGA background,
>> with lots of "strange" mainframe knowledge), I had similar
>> trouble. I had many issues with C, too, before it became
>> my primary programming language, but the fact that I can
>> master FreeBSD now (at a sufficient level) is due to the
>> fact that I had much good help, especially from this list,
>> as well as much practice. Recognizing and resolving library
>> requirements can surely be such a step into the right
>> direction. It's not a state, it's a process.
>>
>> In the future, PJ will not only know that things work, but
>> additionally understand *how* and *why* they work, and this
>> will make him a master of FreeBSD, too.
>>     
>
> Hi Polytropon,
>
> thanks, I hope you are right, and I would love to see PJ become a
> master of FreeBSD, but my impression from the mailing list is that that
> progress is going to be too long and too frustrating.  I suppose only
> PJ can know if he/she feels that progress is happening.  Nonetheless, I
> stand by the advice to work systematically through the handbook and try
> to gain a real understanding rather than a series of fixes.  I suppose
> I was suggesting that rather than address endless frustrating symptoms
> of what looks like a mismatch between PJ's character (not ability, I
> certainly do not wish to disparage that - by character I mean a
> reluctance to stand back, slow down and approach the learning
> systematically and to give it the time it will need) and the FreeBSD
> way of doing things, it might be better to just move to something
> more pre-packaged.  PC-BSD may well be a good choice, I haven't tried
> it.
>
> Oh, and you are exactly right about the kind of understanding that can
> come with spending time with FreeBSD.  But perhaps it's not for
> everyone.  
>   
Hi Tony,
I understand you POV but...
I don't see why FreeBSD should not be for everyone. It sure would be
great if we could lose MS and their associate mush.

I see no reason why a FreeBSD user should have to become as master of
the system. If the software is properly set up and maintained, there
should be no need for huge techincal know-how. Your assumption is that
the user should have enough knowledge to fix bugs or problems that are
caused by technical errors and/or complexities.
Isn't it a litttle absurd that often small updates to ports/progams
cause huge problems in adapting to the new versions? Maybe that is an
indication that the original concept of the port/proram was somewhat
lacking and that just puts us right smack on a par with MS, Adobe and
all the overbloated programs associated therewith.
When FreeBSD programs are set up right and work fine it's a real
delight... but when an update or small change blows things apart and you
have to go back to "kindergarden" to learn a new universe... it's nt
very comforting.
Cheers.
PJ=he not she .... heh...heh...heh :-)



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?4AE84687.3070005>