Using Ubuntu absolves the user of personal responsibility?

[Derek Broughton]

Alexander Skwar wrote:

> Michael T. Richter <ttmrichter at gmail.com>:
> 
>> That's not the issue.
> 
> Yes, it is.

No, it wasn't.  You were derogatory and insulting.

>> The issue is how should this pointing be
>> presented.  Some people -- well, one person in particular -- believes in
>> short, terse almost mocking responses.
> 
> Who?
> 
>> Others believe in helpful
>> responses.  Compare and contrast:
>> 
>> Approach #1: Google on "mount" and "ISO" you moron!
> 
> Who did that?

>> And you're telling us, that ALL of Google didn't have anything
>> wrt. this?

'nuff said.

>> Approach #2: "mount -t iso9660 -o loop <file>"
> 
> That's a *VERY* bad approach, as has been explained before.

It's not a VERY bad approach.  It would be VERY bad if users actually took
such advice without checking, as it occasionally leads users to do
something really stupid (there was one such piece of advice on this group
last week).  It is, though, not the best method.
> 
>> Approach #3: "Go take a quick look at "man mount" and look at the -t and
>> -o options, paying attention specifically to the iso9660 type and the
>> loop option."
> 
> That's more or less what I did.

Only after insulting the poster.  
> 
>> Which of the three is most immediately helpful to the end-user?
> 
> #3

Sorry, but you're wrong.  Approach #2 is _immediately_ helpful.  Not the
best way to teach someone, but it gives immediate results.

> 
>> Which of the three is most long-term helpful to the end-user?
> 
> #1

Self-justification.  Calling someone a moron is NEVER helpful.  I agree, you
didn't actually use the word, but that's the implication.

> 
>> Which of the three leaves the end-user with the impression that the
>> community consists of troglodytes?
> 
> #2

No, it leaves the user thinking they can come here and get immediately
useful results.  Of course, it doesn't help _us_, because they'll come
right back with more and more questions, and never learn to fend for
themselves, but the one thing that won't happen is that they'll think we're
a community of trogs.
-- 
derek