[Samba] !!ATTENTION NEWBIES!!

[John H Terpstra]

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003, Chris de Vidal wrote:

> I've been reading this list for a few weeks now and
> I've given advice on questions that look challenging
> but I've deleted MANY questions like these:

Well Chris, I to invite you to help answer more newbie questions. If you
can spare that time, then please do try to help others who have not
attained our level of proficiency in doing our home work before we go
live.

I try to answer as many questions as I can, while I do admit to putting
the bulk of my effort consciously into replies that will help more
adavanced users. I have spent over 6 hours per day helping people and
simply can not afford more time. That means that if people like you and I
do not answer those less experienced and perhaps less willing then we are
not helping to raise the next generation of open source advocates.

> "How do I (easy question found in the documents)?"

Most people take no offense in being told where they can find the
information needed - and every such response ends up feeding the search
engines so that the next person who does do some home work first will
stand a greater chance of finding the answer.

>
> Though I don't count myself an expert, I've known
> enough experts to see that they _HATE_ it when you
> don't invest some time before asking a question.  I
> too have been guilty of it, but I understand when I'm
> shot down or ignored.
>
> READ the manpages (man smb.conf, smbclient, etc.),
> /usr/share/doc/samba*, SEARCH the web (Google is your
> friend), SEARCH this mailing list
> (marc.theaimsgroup.com), READ the Samba website (I
> spend alot of time in the Documentation page), SEARCH
> your distro's website (e.g. RedHat.com has a GREAT
> docs section with Samba stuff in it), or READ one of
> the many fine books.  I learned a TON from "Teach
> Yourself Samba in 24 Hours" but a possibly better
> book, "Using Samba 2" from O'Reilly is out this month.
>
> PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do your homework before asking,
> else your question will get ignored and you'll burn
> out the experts, whose time is better spent improving
> Samba than answering simple questions.

Sure! But let's not lose sight of how we got to where we are.

Come on Newbies!

- John T.
-- 
John H Terpstra
Email: jht at samba.org