[Sussex] Thoughts On Contrubuting to the Community

[John D.]

On Sunday 01 April 2007 01:25, James Smith wrote:
> Well, this is getting a bit intense, but I'll share my contributions
> if you like, though my views may not please some on this list...
-----%<-----
Ok I'll also respond to this as well (and yes I did tell Steve D that he was 
a "stirrer" this morning).

Some of you may (or not) have seen me refer to myself as "LUG nugget". A 
couple of you have been kind enough to explain that my journey through the 
world of linux has meant that I have learned something, and don't really 
qualify as the nugget.

Why do I use linux ? Well apart from my older brother being a "linux based IT 
professional" (and family linux bore), I have moral, ethical and social 
issues with MS and how they seem to do business - I don't believe that they 
are "evil" per se (just damned greedy ???).

I've tried various distros. Currently on the debian SID based "SIDUX" (with 
which, I'm quite happy). I've also tried quite a number of "things" that are 
rather over my head (not knowing my arse from my elbow, as far as things IT 
are concerned). Sometimes successfully, others not - sometimes with help from 
those on the mailing list, sometimes not.

Other failings, or maybe just frustrations, are that while the linux world has 
some truely brilliant people, who code, develop etc etc, they can't write 
documents for shit! The concept of projects like TLDP is fantastic, but the 
very nature of howto's and other instructional documentation, are that they 
should possibly be aimed at the lowest common denominator - rather than 
written in nicely formatted nerd/geek. Those are the people who have the 
ability/intelligence/whatever to "skip read" the basic english to work out 
what it is that they want to actually do and how to do it.

This wonder (IMO) that is linux, seems to be so capable, that it's quite 
irritating that there is little knowledge that is basic enough to explain 
exactly what some of the apps and other facilities are - So it's those, such 
as myself, who have to ask questions (as my linux knowledge could easily be 
written on the back of a very small postage stamp).

What have I contributed back ? Well IMO, bog all ! I wouldn't even know where 
to start, other than occassionally managing to answer relatively basic 
questions at places like Linuxquestions, Linuxformat and Sidux forums. Though 
I suspect most of you can gather that I ask considerably more than I answer.

I do try to make as many moots as I can, as well as acting as "teaboy" to 
those at the BCF who know enough to try to explain the apparent aims of a LUG 
to "Joe Public" (when I can get there). Just because the moot might not be 
about something that I'm interested in, or understand, doesn't stop me trying 
to be one or the other.

Whatever the actual point of Steve posing the question/comment in the first 
place was, I've yet to work out, though I also know him well enough to 
appreciate that he's not always the most "diplomatic". 

It's a little unfortunate that some list members seem to have been a 
little "thin skinned" and taken umbrage. I suspect it'd be rather a shame if 
his posting caused people unsubscribe - rather remniscent of those "Re, your 
xxxxxxxx in Private Eye number xxx. I'm completely disgusted. Please cancel 
my subscription" type letter often found in the "Eye" (a.k.a. "toys out of 
pram").

But no-one is forced to receive the emails from the list are they.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say to anyone who has "got the needle", 
thankyou for any reply you might have made to any of my questions. They would 
have been gratefully received.

regards

John D. (a.k.a. the fatbloke, or "oi, you", etc etc).