> > If anyone is interested in getting over such arrogance, one
> >worthwhile way to do it is to consider how 'they' might *get a notion
> >of what a root server system is.
>
> Unless, of course, they have their own lives to live, their own
> professions to follow, etc., and simply don't want to be bothered.
Oh, I understand, *professionals are just too all-fired busy to listen
to 'little people.' My goodness, yes!
> That is why civilization started out with a division of labor, having
> these people make the arrow heads, clubs and baskets, and
> those other people would do the hunting and gathering. Do the
> latter have to know (or care) how the arrow or basket is made?
One of my favorite moments is when some gender-conscious
individual protests against male-chauvinist society and the
hegemony of paternalism. *Who raised all those little boys?* I
ask...
But I digress.
> For those unwashed who in fact want to learn some nuts and bolts,
> that would indeed be a useful step, and one not often carried out
> simply because the tech "haves" not only don't know how to talk
> to the tech "nothaves," but they are dumbfounded by the suggestion
> that there are actually people walking on this earth who don't know
> what a root server system is.
Exaggeration is not needed; one doesnt have to be unwashed to be
recognized as having something to learn - indeed, its usually
sufficient to cross the line between the hunters' and the weavers'
camps.
> If by "ignoramus" you mean the internet adept who don't realize that
> not everyone was born that way, yes it is.
...
> ALL engineering is "service providing," but many engineers never
> come to realize that
If I didnt know better, Id think you were agreeing with me!
> I might mention that my comments don't come from any fears on my
> part: I know what a root server, a DNS and an OS are, but since I do
> my job I expect others to do theirs, and part of the job as an internet
> guru is making sure that people -- anticipated customers in particular
> - --understand what you are doing.
And my suggestion extends that concept only a little way: the
customer/ non-customer distinction may mean something in
dirtspace, but in terms of having an interest in the net *anybody is
'people.' If part of ones 'job' is to be concerned about 'capture,' then
I would say it's in partial fulfillment of that concern that one might
make oneself available (on a mailing list, for instance) to those who
*suspect they 'ought to be' interested so they can educate
themselves to the risks.
> So yet another way in which registrars, etc. can compete beyond
> the mere dollars will lie in the ability and willingness to make
> things as easy as possible for the customer, rather than continue
> with the current prevalent attitude that all you have to do is run
> the servers (more or less) and collect the fees.
But as long as 'being available' is a synonym for whoring, and
'teaching' a euphemism for 'one who can't actually cut the mustard,'
and push 'education' off into the corner (with other childish games
like TV and drug addiction) as something for *professionals to take
care of, and 'make it easier' for society at large, I assure you, we're
never going to get out of the (literal, literally!) mess the Internet is
making of everything. If you want to leave the process of being
educated to Netical issues to somebody else, thats fine; as I said,
I understand you perfectly.
Sure, the registrars will make it easy for their customers, as the
customers have been making it easy for the registrar. But *self-
education* (despite the name) is a two way street; R will *learn
from C if C a) learns from R and b) knows s/he's being listened to.
These are usually considered inseparable parts of the process;
only this age of professional segregation distinguishes 'deliverables'
apart from 'evaluation,' and teaching apart from learning.
So please, dont hand the communications ball to some cadre of
'professional teachers' unless you really want to see some really
professional capturing, so slick your eyes'll pop out. (Do you need
to learn how to do that? Here, let me show you...
kerry
