Most casual computer users especially MS windows users would
rather just ask a question and be given the answer rather
than do any research to find what they want to know and
then ask for some help if they can't find the answer.
Just look at how many times in one the day every day the
same simple easy to find questions are asked on this
mailling list. People are lazy.
You have to wonder how many of these people (who I assume are bright
enough to hold down a job) actually survive in real life. I'm
presuming, for instance, that they don't need to take driving lessons
again each and every time they buy a new car.
To continue your analogy, how many people know how to change a tire? or
even check the oil? While some have no problem with these "simple"
tasks, the vast majority of people (in any country) don't know how to do
these things. When something goes wrong, they call a professional...
otherwise they get in the car and drive it until it breaks.
The same concept applies to the world of computers. It's puzzling to
those of us who are used to installing software because we're used to
it... we know how to do it and we can click on an exe, or do rpm -ivh in
our sleep. We don't get baffled when we run a self extracting
executable because we have done it many times, and know that inside that
self extracting zip is the real install program. You throw the same at
an end user who only knows computers on a basic level, and they are
lost. They buy a computer with everything already installed and ready
to go. All they need to do is turn it on. There is never any need to
learn any more about what is happening until it breaks or they want to
change something (like install OpenOffice.org).
I understand the frustration... I read this list every day and ask
myself the same questions. I just hope that our continued patience in
answering those same questions helps a few new users venturing out of
the box are encouraged to keep going... I do see a lot of replies from
the people who were lost, thanking those that helped for pointing them
in the right direction. So we must be doing something right :-)
C.
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