From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 09:01:27 +0100 From: Eris Discordia To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <936618805f6c60b42d6c1c2ed4766163@9netics.com> References: <936618805f6c60b42d6c1c2ed4766163@9netics.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Subject: Re: [9fans] sad commentary Topicbox-Message-UUID: d19bbace-ead3-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 I still don't get your point. And does your "point" include these "For Dummies" books? 1. Alan Simpson - Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition For Dummies 2. Allen Wyatt - Cleaning Windows XP For Dummies 3. Barry Burd - Beginning Programming With Java For Dummies 4. Bill Sempf - Visual Basic 2005 For Dummies.pdf 5. Damon Dean And Andy Cowitt - Macromedia Studio 8 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies 6. Dee-Ann LeBlanc - Linux For Dummies 7. Frederic Jones - Digital Photography, Just The Steps For Dummies 8. Steve Holzner - Ajax For Dummies 9. Kevin Beaver - Hacking For Dummies 10. Janine Warner - Dreamweaver 8 For Dummies Does Dreamweaver 8 sound like a piece of "very complex," "organically developed" software, "and" lacking "a central design idea?" "For Dummies" books are essentially non sequiturs arising from marketing schemes. RTFM is really the way to go, but you need to have an "incentive," a "promise," to RTFM. Obviously, sometimes the incentive is replaced by a compelling to obey company/university/institution policies. --On Monday, June 30, 2008 4:11 PM -0700 Skip Tavakkolian <9nut@9netics.com> wrote: >> By the way, I provided a description of my person to avoid "dummy" >> labels. I may well be a "dummy" in your league but that doesn't mean >> I'm unable of reading a normal technical manual. I can do and have done >> that, on Linux, FreeBSD, and Plan 9. > > you've missed my point. most of the dummies books on software try > to explain how to deal with very complex, organically developed > systems that lack any central design idea. the fact that it requires > the reader to admit to being a dummy to buy the book is telling > enough. > >