Though I understand and agree with the general sentiment of your post, I must
say I am happy to help people here "find resources that are relatively better
than what one is using currently."
Making money as an IT professional from individuals through support contracts
is a tough proposition, as the advise that is given away in forums such as
this one would be difficult to afford for most individuals if they had to pay
for it, and is particularly useful to those individuals who would be unable
to afford it in the first place.
I'm happy to help people troubleshoot and learn, as long as they're willing
to do the legwork themselves. As an example, the other day I helped a user in
the Spanish forum who had trouble mounting some partitions. It took some time
to write the posts, but when he built on my proposed solution and researched
to fix his problem it gave me great satisfaction. Now I am confident he can
mount partitions if he ever runs into the same problem.
I see it as a hobby when I have the time, and I am happy to do this pro bono.
It is also a way to give back, as it is thanks to many generous people that I
was able to learn to use GNU/Linux, and I still rely on the help of others
when I am stuck.
I am even happy and willing to help others brainstorm for generating their
own income through free software. I feel, rightly or not, that when I give
freely it always ends up coming back one way or another. If nothing else,
from the satisfaction of having solved someone's problem (some of it
selfishly inspired, like solving puzzles). It is also a way of teaching, and
knowledge empowers.
I have a problem with trolls or with those who expect me to help as if it
were an obligation. That is a different matter altogether. I am also not a
particularly active member here and can only speak for myself.
