[Pan-users] Diatribe (long)

[Beartooth]

On  Sun, 23 Jun 2002 Jeff Vian <address@hidden> wrote i.a.:

> ... Most of the failures, if the entire truth were known, likely
> fail to use the informative messages and update everything at
> once ...

> This thread is an example of bad choices that caused problems,
> but with a little bit of information from others the problem was
> solved.  The dependencies caused the problems, but eliminated
> many others that would have been seen by incompatible software
> packages.
>
> The one thing I see that most often contributes to an inability
> to install/use the upgrades is that the user does not understand
> or use the info he sees in the messages related to the
> failure,...

        Instructive generalizations, for which thanks; but they
fail to help the uncomprehending user -- and then lead to:

> If you are unable to understand the changes and be flexible
> enough to follow them, I suggest that you may get a release that
> works for you and stick with it and never update.

        When there is one, I will.

> This will eliminate the need for you to think, plan, and be
> inovative [sic] in doing the updates. I suggest that you think
> for yourself and not take the words of others as gospel and
> spread their mis-information [sic] as fact.

        I'll certainly not take most of Mr. Vian's -- except the
implied one, to unsubscribe.

        Mr. Vian's is a counsel of perfection, with or without
undue asperity, but most probably with -- a variant of the old "If
you can't drive it, park it; and if you can't park it, build a shed
over it," -- itself a more sneering form of the already demeaning
"Learn to drive!"

> If you are not willing to be flexible maybe you should stick with
> Windows where backward compatibility constantly contributes to
> code bloat and inhibits new development.

        The superfluous -- and supercilious -- foul language here
(W___) is my reason for supposing the asperity both undue and
intended. It amounts to "Get a horse!" and is not helpful in any
way. Nor need one have finished becoming past master of the latest
fad to perceive that MS is an abomination worth great effort to
escape.

> If, on the other hand, you educate yourself (as most who use
> these newsgroups do) you can find out what the problem is and fix
> it. Thus having the ability to enjoy the leading edge of software
> packages and educating yourself at the same time.

        And finally, the paragraph above begs the question.
"Educate yourself" might as well be "go take baby courses
somewhere, and don't try to learn from the Net, as if people there
were friendly to beginners," or even simply "Go away, kid, you
bother me." IOW, it is deliberately offensive, uncalled-for, and
contrary to Netiquette, despite the smooth words. There was
no need; he could easily enough have asked one or two posters,
under the Net, "Do you realize you're asking baby questions in an
advanced forum?" -- preferably while suggesting some more
appropriate venue. But he doesn't do that even so.

        If at any time in recent months one of the regulars on this
list had said anything -- observing ordinary common courtesy, but
remotely similar in content -- on the list or off, I for one would
have considered myself out of place, unsubscribed at once, and gone
to some lesser newsreader while continuing to watch as best I could
for Pan 1.2 or equivalent to be announced, preferably by RedHat. I
will, however, go now.

        None has. My inference was that some among the active
developers find it useful to hear the one thing they may be no
longer able to imagine: what the current state looks like to the
naive user to whom, presumably, it is intended eventually to appeal
as much as it does to their own kind. Shakespeare and Mozart were
able somehow to write for the least as well as the most
sophisticated; most since have welcomed a little occasional
feedback. But I will gladly stop wasting my time.

        Nevertheless, Mr. Vian is out of line, even if speaking for
a majority too bashful to express itself before. I suggest he go
teach himself Finnish and the history of Finnish grammar, or
Goethe's place in the history of the German language (as compared,
say, to Luther's) -- in order to acquire some grasp of the
learning process.

        And, btw, his assertion that the original problem (mine)
has been solved is false: I have not seen anything I know enough
linux (yet!)  to understand, and will in fact wait for the next
stable release.

        Strength to the arms of all the rest of you! May Pan's
development prosper -- ohne mich.

--
RR Neuswanger, PhD <karhunhammas (at) lserv.com>
double retiree & linux greenhorn, running Pan 0.11.2
Just this once, I do know what I am talking about.