LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: David Lloyd <lloy0076@senet.com.au>
  To  : linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au
  Date: Sun, 23 May 1999 23:36:22 +0900

ALL "NEWBIE" QUESTIONS

Geez! I hate that word `newbie'. It's condescending, impolite and most
anti-community minded.

It has been said by Alex Garner

"The stupidest questions in the world are asked on this list every
day, and when they are asked by someone who has tried everything, it gives
me, and others, great pleasure in supplying that missing piece of
information. It's when people lose sight of the fact that people here are
here for free, and then get shitty when they get asked to play by the
rules, that this so-called reputation forms. But hey, it's not the people
with the reputations that lose out, it's you."

Given that some people's questions are perceived to be STUPID receiving
such replies as quoted above, I think I've managed to forget what this list
is about. Personally, I decline to ask ANY questions on this list because
some might proclaim them to be STUPID and from a NEWBIE; these people are
either flamed or basically told to get back in their holes.

Nonetheless, I stay on the list because I am able to assist some people
with their problems; I do this directly - I refuse to copy answers to
so-called Newbie questions to LinuxSA because the others, especially those
who make replies such as I have quoted, know them. Don't they?

I recently presented a speech about Unix vs NT. I argued that Microsoft's
only strong point was its marketing skill, i.e. its ability to sell an
inferior product to an unsuspecting audience. Marketing is based on
customer service, and people skills.

Telling people that the questions they ask are `stupid' or that they are
`newbies' implies that their questions or worse still, they themselves, are
not welcome. For a while I thought that I had found a community in which
all users, from beginner to expert, could be made welcome. Instead I find a
mailing list full of people who accuse other people of not looking in the
right place or being lazy!

If you worked for a professional marketing, advertising or customer service
firm you would be FIRED!

Linux is a very powerful, versatile operating system which could rival
Windows 95/98/NT/200. Now imagine what it could do if it were marketed to
the same extent as Microsoft markets its own products?

I know you'll say that this is not possible. But the first thing you'll
learn in marketing, customer service and in life is - a little bit of
politness goes a long way.

Finally, because I am a community minded person concerned with the ill-will
that the various debates re: newbie questions etc have been debated on this
list, ALL newbies should feel free to email their queries to me DIRECT at

lloy0076@senet.com.au

I shall endeavour to find some sort of sensible answer through whatever
means I am able to and get the answer DIRECT to you.

Let me tell you, I refuse to tell you that your questions are stupid, that
you are a newbie or any other such condescneding, ridiculous terminology as
this. Theree are many people on this list who will help so-called newbies
with their questions, but there are a VOCAL few who insist on flaming them
for their so-called stupid questions.

Really!

No question is stupid. Either ask them, or ask me!

-- 
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