what i've learned, and explanation.

[tom@tomd.org]

Ok, ok, I give up.  For what's it's worth, here's what I have learned from
the day's events:

1) Don't respond to mail when you're already in a poor mood.
2) In fact, don't respond to mail at all if you're going to be expressing
   your opinion, unless you've got some homies on the Debian list who will
   "back" you.  People know Karsten, and they don't know me, so he wins by
   default.
3) Many Linux users are full of technical skills, but lacking people
   skills.  (This was basically what I was told in one reply)  Sad, but
   apparently true.  I should just accept this and move on.
4) Don't make any requests unless you can help to carry them out yourself.
   (By that logic, I can't report bugs in Apache, since I can't fix them,
   and I shouldn't request documentation unless I have the time to write it).
5) It's ok to make disparaging remarks about people if they're clueless
   Windows users (who come from a totally different paradigm than Linux
   users), but it's not ok to make disparaging remarks at those who get
   after these "clueless users".
6) Appearing to be a bit of an elitist and bashing clueless Windows users
   are good ways to gain popularity in the community.

We were all newbies ourselves once.  Personally I've been using Linux for
a couple years, and I've done a hell of a lot of research on my own to
get things working properly.  I didn't have anyone to help me.  I also came
from a Windows background, and I recognize the vast differences in the
Windows and Linux communities.  Because I remember what it was like to be a
newbie, I want to help others who still don't quite know what Linux is all
about.  Telling people that you're adding them to a killfile because you don't
like their sense of community != a good way to get new community members.
Maybe you don't really care if more people start using Debian, but I do,
because of what a great experience it has been for me.

All I really wanted to say with my original post was, "give this guy a break,
and at least explain things nicely to him".  Unfortunately, I got caught
up in the negativity of the situation, and it showed.  I'm really a decent
guy who usually just lurks on this list, and provides help where I can.  Do
I hate people who say, "Just give me the answer to this, and do the research
for me"?  Yes, but I still try to be civil to them, or else not say anything
at all.  My apologies to Mr. Self; he may be a really great guy, but the
tone of some of his emails seemed a bit elitist, and that happens to be
something that really bugs me.  Linux is a community thing.  It's not a
gated, "members-only" place for people who already have the right skills.
It's a "come on in, everybody's welcome sort of place".  Or at least, I
think it should be.  Unfortunately, I did not express this properly, and
for that I am truly sorry.  With that said, I will exit quietly, and go
back to lurking.  My apologies for sucking up your bandwidth.

Tom