Forget Hardy

[Bart Silverstrim]

Oliver Grawert wrote:
> hi,
> Am Mittwoch, den 11.06.2008, 01:47 -0700 schrieb Steve Lamb:
>> Oliver Grawert wrote:
>>> Ubuntu should be different here and should adapt to the user instead of
>>> requiring the user to adapt to the tech slang, really.	
>>      Different than what now?  Windows?  Mac OSX?  >.>
>>
> different from the lists where you are told to read the fine manual :)
> 
> i want my mother (or yours if she does use ubuntu) to be able to get
> support on this list if she doesnt get along with ubuntu.
> 
> ask yourself if she would understand the tech slang if you answer
> somebodies mail ...

How do I bake this cake? I don't need all your slang stuff, don't talk 
over my head. I'm smart and know what I'm doing. I shouldn't need to 
know what a, a, what did you call it? "t-spoon"? And a "cup?" I have a 
bunch of cups in my cupboard, which one do I use?

> this list is for ubuntu *users* which includes everyone out there using
> it, as we just learned in another thread from the 2 year old up to the
> 90 year old. people with and without any technical background ... just
> try to take that into account in answers... 

And of course they don't want to actually learn about the topic? No 
no...we must always assume that we need to act as unpaid consultants for 
that users whims because they need to get a specific task "done" right 
now? Isn't that what paid support people are for?

You're making it sound like education and willingness to learn are bad 
things that should be avoided. I shudder at the "newbie" asking, without 
any jargon, how to set up a mail server with zilch knowledge of how to 
even install the operating system and zilch patience to learn what 
they're doing. They're usually the first ones to spout off about how 
terrible it is in the process despite their ignorance.

This is a service, advice from this list and war stories shared. And 
most of the people have advice to give because they went through this 
stuff themselves. They impart this onto others so the user doesn't need 
to ask the question again.

You're talking about the spirit of Ubuntu. The spirit of Ubuntu doesn't 
include encouraging ignorance and reliance on others. It means sharing 
information and learning to make you a better person for the experience.