RE: Newbie Questions -- MIDRANGE-L

On Friday, October 09, 1998 4:27 AM, DAsmussen@aol.com 
[SMTP:DAsmussen@aol.com] wrote:
> I may be wrong here but would like to start a discussion, if warranted,
> on the
> above subject.  In other words, respond to the list if you take issue
> with
> what I'm about to say, _NOT_ offline.  There have been several questions
> posted lately from AS/400 newbies and, frankly, I was _APPALLED_ at some
> of
> your responses.  Try to remember that the majority of AS/400
> _PROFESSIONALS_
> couldn't find this list (or anything else on the Internet) with both
> hands and
> a flashlight.  Those of you that have moved from RPG or COBOL to OO
> should
> recall how difficult _that_ transition was at first -- just try to
> imagine
> moving the _OTHER_ way.
>
> Granted some of the questions were a little lower-level than we are used
> to
> seeing here; however, IMO this list is for the free exchange of
> information
> regarding the AS/400 and IBM midrange systems at large to _ALL_ people
> regardless of talent level (or employment situation).  Also IMO, get 
used
> to
> it -- thanks in part to the efforts of people here, more people are
> discovering the AS/400 that are already OO/Internet-savvy, and those
> forced
> into 3GL's will inevitably ask questions like these.  If you don't have
> anything constructive to say and its' not a "spammer", please don't say
> anything at all -- we need all the AS/400 talent we can get...at _ALL_
> levels...

Dean,
  I struggled with the same questions before I responded to our new family 
member.  On the one hand, he's clearly a student, probably early in his 
curriculum and probably working ahead of the teacher.  So for him, the 
questions he's asking are hard (PC programmers rarely wrap their 
executable code in a .BAT file...)  Basically, I settled on treating his 
questions much as I treat my own kids' homework: point to the place in the 
book and provide enough info to "get the idea."  I think that doing the 
work for him is doing him a grave disservice.

On the other hand, it can be hard to devote time to helping someone who's 
brand new simply because you know that there are literally hundreds of 
questions that *will* come up tomorrow...  If you answer these, does that 
make you committed to answering them all?

Finally, I wonder why I feel like I should let a student "work it out for 
himself" and freely give code samples to those in business?

Interesting moral questions, Dean.

In any event, *I* personally didn't take the tone of some of the responses 
too badly; being a list member for over a year has taught me that almost 
everybody here is a helpful sort; else why would they bother to answer? 
 Anybody can have a bad day, and I basically looked at the "rude" 
responses in that light.  After all, they *did* give a bunch of answers 
first...

Buck Calabro
Commsoft, Albany, NY
mailto:mcalabro@commsoft.net

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