--- Phil Mattison <mattison20@cox.net> wrote:

> Glad to see at least one person here can connect the
> dots. 
> I guess this is no place for irony. So I'll just
> acknowledge the implicit:
> You have to be pretty smart to figure out Linux.
> Golly, we must be SOOOOOOOOO smart!
> Please, let's get back to just talking about Linux.
> I promise, I'll never mention Windows here again.
> 
> --Phil M.
> 

As a puker user for many years, but NOT a serious
teckie, what I find 'very difficult' with Linux is
that most of the 'stuff you are told to go read and
heed' IS written either very, ah, bluntly with tons of
'implied knowledge' that you are assumed to know
already --- (manpages one great example mostly) OR out
of date/don't apply to this distro/whatever.

It almost seems like a 'klik' of elite users who
'pretend' to want more people to join the club, but
who only want the mensa persons in the club, not the
day to day user. I 'qualified' and was headed for OCS
in the army when I got smart suddenly and withdrew my
app. Who me?? Stand up and say 'follow me to death'!!
Well, lets just say that at the time suicide wasn't on
my mind. 

Linux tend to be sorta that group.. the OCS officers
and West Pointers.......not the grunts in the field as
far as users goes.

This wasn't meant to be a upper or downer, just that
people (linux changelog submitters) need to somewhat
quit 'ass-U-ming' sooo much prior knowledge and make
th manpages and helpful hints stuff with more 'real
life copy and paste with MINOR modifications examples'
in the manpages and etc. Some have fairly good
'example' text in them, others are outerspace with no
example of how to really string it together.

Take mancal for example. It doesn't have a simple
script like;

cal -y | lpr

That would give some a better idea how to use it for
'productive' work. Yes, it is an easy one to figure
out, but... comeon, a few simple scripts that are
relatively 'safe' could go a LONG way towards a newbie
learning a little CLI.

My $.02 worth

Oh, btw, wont leave linux...too cheap to buy something
that should be free!! Love it mostly, just surf and
simple letters/etc. Databases?? what's that!!
Networking, hun?? Oh, well.

=====
Cyclists should expect and demand safe 
accommodation on our public roads, 
just as does every other user.  

Nothing more is expected. 

Nothing less is acceptable!

Long live Knoppix!!

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