Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!sdd.hp.com!mips!smsc.sony.com!dce
From: dce@smsc.sony.com (David Elliott)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: HELP ME PLEASE!!!
Message-ID: <1990Nov10.162446.20443@smsc.sony.com>
Date: 10 Nov 90 16:24:46 GMT
References: <47290@bsu-ucs.uucp> <1990Nov9.114238@cs.utwente.nl> <17304@yunexus.YorkU.CA>
Organization: Sony Microsystems Corp, San Jose, CA
Lines: 19

In article <17304@yunexus.YorkU.CA> tony@nexus.yorku.ca (Tony Wallis) writes:
>The Unix neophyte does not need RTFM.  They need an introduction to
>the spirit/feel/philosophy/callitwhatyouwill.  And the best place to
>get that is from someone who does Unix and is willing to give the time.

I think it depends on the person.  If they just want to use Unix as a
computing environment, then hands-on lessons and introductory books
are a reasonable way to go.  On the other hand, the they really want
to dig in and become a competent Unix user/programmer or a systems
developer, there's no substitute for sitting down and reading the
manuals from cover to cover.

No, this won't make one an expert immediately, but if the person has a
reasonable memory, they'll have been exposed to enough of the system
that they'll know where to look.

Another aspect of this is that the user learns how the manuals are
organized, and can learn to look for themselves instead of having to go
to the experts for every little detail.