[Media] 8.04 Servers - Wikipedia

[Knapp]

>    However at the same time there is room for what neophytes would consider
> arrogance.  "Why doesn't he just answer my question?"  Simple, application of
> a little brainpower on your part would yield you the answer faster than his
> asking it.  So he's going to try to get you to put the brain in gear.  IE,
> teaching you to fish instead of giving you a fish.  To people who are
> expecting help desk level support via spoon-fed pat answers this will seem
> arrogant.  However, the same neophytes who get past that stage invariably end
> up doing the same thing to the next batch of neophytes and on.
>
>    It is elevating humans through challenging them to actually use their
> potential instead of squandering it.  Like it or not that is a part of geek
> culture.  Quite frankly I find it far preferable than the current norm which
> is to shun anyone who actually engages their brain and tries to noodle out
> problems.  That path is hardly constructive.  So given the choice of coddling
> and welcoming or a tad off-putting but enabling I chose the latter and prefer
> everyone who deals with me when I had questions do the same.
>
> --
>         Steve C. Lamb         | But who can decide what they dream

First, I know that when I ask a question, it is because I can't find
the answer or it is one of those things that would take 2 hours of
reading and could be answered in one sentence by someone that knows
all the background info that I would have to learn. I would think this
is true for most people. I am a programmer and was mostly self taught.
I know how to learn computer stuff but that does not mean that I
always want to learn everything. Some problems just need answers but I
am often quite happy, if those answers come with links to good short
info. For an example of a question like that was when I asked about
the suders file and how to set it up. I never did get the answer I
needed but I did find how to get the answer. It involves learning a
whole new computer language and then writing the correct config file
using. The problem remains unanswered but there is someone out there
that could answer it in 5 minutes and I don't have the time or the
will to do it. I know live with a small security hole in my computer
because of this but have decided to accept the risks.

To sum this all up, some people don't have the time or the will to
elevate themselves to computer guru levels. Sometimes you just need
the help of someone that has this notch on their belt. Sometimes you
are to busy doing what you are good at to learn something you are not
good at. This is why people come together and help each other. We are
each blessed with some skills being better than other and we share
them.

-- 
Douglas E Knapp

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