<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 TRANSITIONAL//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; CHARSET=UTF-8"> <META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="GtkHTML/3.10.3"> </HEAD> <BODY> On Thu, 2006-03-08 at 09:17 -0400, Todd Slater wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE> <PRE> I read, with some sadness, the thread on mounting an ISO as a virtual cd-rom. It appears that pointing someone to a web search or man page is no longer considered a helpful response. Instead, we must reinvent the wheel any time a basic question--with more than sufficient documentation available--is asked. However, I don't think that the whole Ubuntu humanity thing should be about spoon feeding, but rather developing competent, self-efficacious users. When we absolve people of personal responsibility, we often create a situation of dependence. As shining examples of this, we might look at the "health" care, social welfare, and educational systems of the United States. The notion that it's not acceptable to help people to help themselves is really ironic when you consider the African roots of Ubuntu. My $0.02. </PRE> </BLOCKQUOTE> That's not the issue. The issue is how should this pointing be presented. Some people -- well, one person in particular -- believes in short, terse almost mocking responses. Others believe in helpful responses. Compare and contrast: Approach #1: Google on "mount" and "ISO" you moron! Approach #2: "mount -t iso9660 -o loop <file>" 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." Which of the three is most immediately helpful to the end-user? Which of the three is most long-term helpful to the end-user? Which of the three leaves the end-user with the impression that the community consists of troglodytes? <TABLE CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD> -- Michael T. Richter Email: ttmrichter@gmail.com, mtr1966@hotpop.com MSN: ttmrichter@hotmail.com, mtr1966@hotmail.com; YIM: michael_richter_1966; AIM: YanJiahua1966; ICQ: 241960658; Jabber: mtr1966@jabber.cn "I find many of the machines of violence very attractive. Tanks, airplanes, warships, especially aircraft carriers. And the German U-boats, submarines." --The Dalai Lama </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </BODY> </HTML>