Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:47:14 -0400 From: "Michael H. Semcheski" <lists@immuneit.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Explaining FreeBSD features Message-ID: <200506231147.14763.lists@immuneit.com> In-Reply-To: <20050623152214.B6F9C43D4C@mx1.FreeBSD.org> References: <20050623152214.B6F9C43D4C@mx1.FreeBSD.org>
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On Thursday 23 June 2005 11:24 am, Steve Bertrand wrote: > > I think, that really only questions, whose answers cannot > > readily be found elsewhere, should be asked on this list. > For the most part, yes, only non-readily available answers should be > posted to the list, but there are circumstances where the list can > provide, as someone else suggested a quick RTFM, here is the link to > what you are looking for. I think the answers that someone who has been using FreeBSD for 6 days or 6 weeks can find are going to be a small subset of the set of answers found by someone who has been using FreeBSD for 6 years. Often on mailing lists, I've been pointed in the ride direction. If you say something as simple as "check out man 8 sysctl", thats teaching someone to fish. We aren't all born super-geniuses, but with a little help most of us can get on our way. The other thing is if you do a google search for an error message you're having, you're likely to find archives of mailing lists. Remember that when you answer a question. This may come back and help someone out in a few years. > > 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. > Yes, but how does one inform the user of the self-help approach. > Obviously putting that education in the handbook would be moot as they > likely haven't read the handbook anyway ;) Nobody starts out wanting to become an expert, they just want to accomplish a task. Eventually, they may actually become an expert, or have the self-help skills to solve problems on their own. With trial and error, you eventually find that asking for help is not the quickest or most reliable way to solve a problem in every case. But, thats a necessary lesson to learn nonetheless. Mike
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