[ale] Newbee needing help #6

[Bruce Jones]

Mike,

Thanks for the kind and true words, it is easier to scare off 10 supporters than to gain one.

At 55 however It has come to realize that the quiet gurus outnumber the L33Ts by 50:1, no contest :-)

I have had a lot of positive, useful feedback all day from this group, on and off list, and I appreciate all of it.

Your end quote is a little scary, but worthy of serious thought,
Bruce

-----Original Message-----
>From: fd0man??The Magical Floppy Man <fd0man at gmail.com>
>Sent: Jul 18, 2006 4:25 PM
>To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
>Subject: Re: [ale] Newbee needing help #6
>
>On Tue, 2006-07-18 at 14:47 -0400, James Sumners wrote:
>
>> Would you mind not spamming the list every half hour?
>> 
>
>
>At the risk of sounding like an evil, horrible person?I say this with
>the best of intentions?this list is here not just for all of the
>experience that resides on it, but for new people to come into.  After
>all, it is open to the public.  Start an "Atlanta Linux Elitists" group
>that is closed to the public if you really need to break off from
>newbies.  It is responses like this to newcomers to the Linux way of
>life that drive them right back to Windows&#65533;?they begin to fear that
>every action of theirs will be something that someone will look at them
>and go, "You SHOULD know that, go bugger off!"
>
>It is better to politely explain what you are attempting to convey.
>Otherwise, you run the risk of driving off new users?and now, more then
>ever, it is important to keep new users, not drive them off.  This is a
>time that may be very crucial to the way Linux enters the end-user
>world, with all of Microsoft's interesting moves.  Interest in migration
>away from Windows&#65533; systems is up among power users of Windows&#65533;, and if
>more power-users are using Linux, more regular end-users will, as well.
>Obviously, this would have very positive outcomes for the software
>market.
>
>Elitist attitudes amongst user groups both online and IRL tend to scare
>people off.  It is key that we don't scare people off, but instead guide
>them the right way so that they are able to learn and be a better member
>of the community?this way, we grow faster (we, being Linux users in
>general).  Snapping at someone?particularly a newbie?does nothing but
>hinder people's perception of the community, and that is a bad thing.
>Once someone has been left with a bad taste in their mouth regarding the
>Linux community, it is very hard to get them to try the system again.
>Trust me, I know that from experience?there are people I know that
>refuse to try the system based on their interactions with other Linux
>users.
>
>    ? Mike
>
>--
>The fd0man??The Magical Floppy Man! (fd0man at gmail.com) 
>"One world, one web, one program"  ?Microsoft promotional ad 
>"Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer"  ?Adolf Hitler