RE: RTFM (was: CPYF behavior)

I've got to say, Simon, your recent hiatus really perked you up. <g>

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Simon Coulter [mailto:shc@flybynight.com.au]
> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 2:45 PM
> To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> Subject: RTFM (was: CPYF behavior)
> 
> 
> 
> Hello Jim,
> 
> When I first started subscribing to this list it was 
> frequented by people who actually knew 
> things and so the questions were of a much higher calibre.  
> At the time I was writing code for 
> IBM and the list was one way of seeing what was happening in 
> the real world.  It was an 
> opportunity to learn different techniques, approaches, and 
> see how the machine was actually 
> being used.
> 
> What we have now is a list primarily frequented by people who 
> don't know things and can't even 
> be bothered checking the available sources of information.  
> Every AS/400 site has manuals, 
> either printed or on softcopy, and almost every question 
> asked here recently can be answered 
> by an intelligent search of the manuals.  However, it seems 
> easier for most people to simply 
> fire off a request to the list.
> 
> I think it reasonable to expect that a system operator has 
> read at least:
>       Getting your AS/400 Working For You (SC41-5161)
>       AS/400 Basic System Operation, Administration, and 
> Problem Handling (SC41-5206)
>       AS/400 System Operation for New Users (SC41-3200)
>       AS/400 System Operation (SC41-4203)
>       OS/400 Backup and Recovery (SC41-5304)
>       Security - Basic (SC41-5301)
>       OS/400 CL Programming (SC41-5721)
>       The manuals for their site's chosen operations support 
> tools e.g.,
>               job scheduler
>               pager
>               client connectivity
>       and that they are sufficiently interested in their 
> career to be working through the 
> administrator's books.
> 
> A system administrator has read at least:
>       All the above plus,
>       Security - Reference (SC41-5302)
>       OS/400 Work Management (SC41-5306)
>       AS/400 Physical Planning Reference (SA41-5109)
>       AS/400 Software Installation (SC41-5120)
>       AS/400 Local Device Configuration (SC41-5121)
>       TCP/IP Fastpath Setup (SC41-5430)
>       OS/400 TCP/IP Configuration and Reference (SC41-5420)
>       OS/400 Workstation Customisation Programming (SC41-3605)
>       some familiarity with the performance tools manuals.
>       
> 
> A programmer has read at least:
>       AS/400 Basic System Operation, Administration, and 
> Problem Handling (SC41-5206)
>       Security - Basic (SC41-5301)
>       Security - Reference (SC41-5302)
>       OS/400 Work Management (SC41-5306)
>       Screen Design Aid (SC09-2604)
>       Source Entry Utility (SC09-2605)
>       Report Layout Uitility (SC09-2635)
>       Programming Development Manager (SC09-1771)
>       File Compare and Merge Utility (SC41-1772)
>       OS/400 CL Programming (SC41-5721)
>       CL Reference (SC41-5722)
>       OS/400 DDS Reference (SC41-????)
>       Distributed Data Management (SC41-5307)
>       DB2 for AS/400 Database Programming (SC41-5701)
>       OS/400 Distributed Database Programming (SC41-5702)
>       Data Management (SC41-5710)
>       DB2 for AS/400 SQL Programming (SC41-5611) even if they 
> don't currently use SQL
>       DB2 for AS/400 SQL Reference (SC41-5612) if they do use SQL
>       OS/400 Integrated File System Introduction (SC41-5711)
>       AS/400 ILE Concepts (SC415606) even if they don't 
> currently use ILE
>       ILE Application Development Example (SC41-5602) even if 
> they don't currently use ILE
>       Rexx/400 Programmer's Guide (SC41-5728) even if they 
> don't currently use Rexx
>       AS/400 Rexx/400 Reference (SC41-5729) if they do use Rexx
>       Application Display Programming (SC41-5715)
>       System API Programming (SC41-5800)
>       System API Reference (SC41-5801)
>       and read the tables of contents for each of the API sub-volumes
> 
>       and of course the Programmer's Guide and Reference for 
> their primary programming 
> language, the dubbug manuals, and the manuals for their 
> site's chosen programming development 
> environment.
> 
>       They should have glanced at:
>       OS/400 Workstation Customisation Programming (SC41-3605)
>       ICF Programming (SC41-5442)
>       OS/400 Printer Device Programming (SC41-5713)
>       OS/400 Tape and Diskette Device Programming (SC41-5716)
>       OS/400 API Appendices (SC41-5881)
> 
>       They should also keep an eye on the future and be 
> reading manuals that may expose them 
> to different techniques and approaches:
> 
>       Developing Multithreaded Applications (SC41-5436)
>       Getting Started with VRPG
>       CODE/400 Self-Study Guide
>       Data Warehousing Concepts for AS/400
> 
> They should also be familiar with the 
> tles of other manuals in the various collections 
> related to their jobs, they should have read any manuals 
> related to specific products 
> installed at their site.  I also expect them to look for what 
> has changed in those manuals on 
> every new release.  If they did that we would have a much 
> higher and more professional class 
> of IT worker in the AS/400 area.
> 
> We would also get fewer basic questions and the general tenor 
> of the list would be raised 
> because people would know where to look and we'd only see the 
> really hard questions and we 
> could all learn from those instead of the endless repetition 
> of trivial questions.
> 
> I believe it was Albert Einstein who said "I don't know 
> everything, I just know where the 
> index is" or something to that effect.
> 
> There are about a dozen or so people on this list whose 
> answers are worth the electrons they 
> consume.  The rest should spend some time educating 
> themselves.  IT personnel are supposed to 
> be professionals and educating yourself is simply part of your job.
> 
> I just know I'm going to regret sending this.  Here come the 
> posts on "But my company won't 
> fund this", or "I don't have time", or "My manager doesn't 
> support this", or, or, or, .....
> 
> Regards,
> Simon Coulter.
> 
> 
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