discuss: staff situation
Subject:
Re: [discuss] staff situation
From:
####@####.####
Date:
29 May 2008 20:18:11 +0100
Message-Id: <432cd8760805291224v12db755fy9119e67ca94d7b6c@mail.gmail.com>
Can somebody remind me why we're having this discussion again? Is the
goal here to throw out all of the outdated writing and turn the LDP
into a gateway page?
This is the thing. I'm not a computer scientist. My (limited)
training was in business. I want to learn how Linux works so I can
control it and ultimately contribute back to the community. The truth
of the matter, though, is that I still feel pretty incompetent on
Linux after three years. What's worse is that when something goes
wrong, I tend to spend hours on Google trying to find something,
anywhere, which might give me a clue as to how to fix it. Man pages
assume that you're already comfortable with whatever you're trying to
use and are only good as a refresher when you can't remember which
argument does what. I don't know if that's intentional, but they're
too esoteric. Forums can work but, assuming you can even get someone
to answer your question, the first several 'answers' tend to be wrong
or political arguments.
When I taught myself C++, my first language, I bought a college
textbook from the store, started at page 1, and by the time I was
around page 800 I had a comfortable feel of the language so I could
ask intelligent questions and sift through articles and forum posts to
figure out how to do what I didn't know how to do yet.
Linux doesn't really have that. At least, not that I've seen.
Documentation is thrown around the Internet, cross-referenced, usually
out of date, and assumes a certain mastery of certain computer science
concepts that people like me don't have. What I like about the LDP is
that, despite all of its shortcomings, it tries to replicate that
'welcome to the big world of Linux. Take my hand and I'll make sure
you don't get lost' sense of comfort that my C++ book gave me.
So, my point, after all of that, is whatever this discussion is trying
to change the LDP into, please make sure that the LDP can be a safe
welcoming centre for new Linux users that will teach them what they
need to know without losing them.
Borden
