setzer@nssdcs.gsfc.nasa.gov (William Setzer (IDM)) (08/07/89)
Ari Halberstadt writes: >Look, maybe we should create a "comp.lang.c.beginner" group or something. Either that, or create a new newsgroup called comp.lang.c.snobs. >I'm getting tired of reading these endless questions like "what's a comma >operator?", why do we have a main function?, how do I post to this network? >etc. etc. That's what the 'k' and 'n' keys (in rn) are for. If you are extremely distraught, then perhaps the 'u' key could be useful. >As for the above question [not quoted] which prompted me to write this: if >everyone in your class knows who he is, then ASK THEM! He probably did. They probably just teased him more. People are mean that way. I have a particular beef with this type of post, because I have twice unjustly been told to RTFM. In the first case, I didn't know that such a FM actually existed. I searched two school bookstores and found _no_ books on the subject I was interested in (X Windows). I also asked the computer support people on campus, but they said they don't support X Windows. So I assumed that there weren't any books available, and I posted a question. The replies I got were not kind. The second 'RTMF message' was in this newsgroup. I _did_ RTFM. Twice. I _didn't_ find the answer to my query, so I posted the question. I got a polite mail message telling me to RTFM. A lot of readers of comp.lang.c seem to be under the impression that everyone should be able to pick up K&R and find the answer to everything. Such is not the case. What about the poor C aspirant who has had no formal language or computer science training? I would be surprised if he understands _any_ of the book. Not everyone is able to comprehend a new language instantly, and K&R is not exactly 'user friendly'. At least _try_ to give a new poster the benefit of the doubt. If you think that the question does not deserve a posted answer, then either ignore it or _mail_ a reply. Don't get up and waste bandwidth raving 'RTFM!'. For all you know, they already have. (As an attempt to ward off some of the certain flames that will follow, I admit that some posts are obviously by people who made no attempt to find out the answer. I am also annoyed at these type of people. However, I think that the majority of the 'stupid question' posters are people without a lot of resources available to them. Perhaps they just couldn't understand K&R. Perhaps they didn't know that K&R was 'the reference', and bought a handbook to learn from (Ugh!). I am not saying that the 'stupid question' poster falls into one of the above categories. I am saying that they _might_. Do not reject their questions out of hand.) -- William Setzer setzer@epsl.umd.edu ; My 'real' mail address.
campbell@redsox.bsw.com (Larry Campbell) (08/09/89)
In article <419@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> setzer@nssdcs.gsfc.nasa.gov (William Setzer (IDM)) writes:
- ... Perhaps they just couldn't understand
-K&R.
Look, K&R is written in English. Most of it is perfectly plain, concise,
cogent English. Get a brain. People who can't understand K&R should
probably take up something they can handle, like DC10 maintenance.
--
Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc.
campbell@bsw.com 120 Fulton Street
wjh12!redsox!campbell Boston, MA 02146