There's a couple false assumptions here: User lists aren't generally comprised of personal friends, but rather loose collectives of people who, for the most part, aren't more than long-distance acquaintences. Second, spoken language is vastly different from written language. You can't expect to consistantly get the same response from written form as you do spoken form. Lastly, you compared spoken language with a personal friend with written language to mostly strangers; you can't get too much farther apart on the communications spectrum than that.
I wasn't trying to justify anything. I was saying that if you don't know anything but how to ask the local computer person, that is how you will ask questions on a mailing list or web forum. That simply explains why newbies don't know how to ask questions at first. They never had to when they talked with their friends, so why would it be different when "talking online?"
Again, it isn't an excuse, but especially on mailing lists, protocol and guidelines for posting aren't usually read by people who want to ask for help on something.
If someone knows about these sources of information but refuses to use them, that is just plain wrong. They should be flamed on sight.
Glad you agree. Person has problem, but won't provide information about problem so folks can help. So why are you taking issue with me, we've got the same bottom line, I'm just not using any undocumented exceptions.
I wasn't taking issue with anyone. I just decided to put my own two cents in on the issue of newbie posts and the response of the "expert" or "old-timer" or whatever. It wasn't meant to argue with anyone so much as just put out my opinion on the subject.
In the end, newbies have to learn to become self-sufficient by looking things up on Google or reading man pages. Basically, each newbie that shows up will probably have to be told that, especially those that don't have close personal friends who are into Linux/programming/insert-hobby-here. They won't know about RTFM until they are told. At the same time, they need to know that RTFM isn't meant to be a hurtful insult so much as something like, "We're busy answering clearly worded questions. At least do yourself a favor and try to figure it out on your own. Once you're informed, THEN ask."
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