Baslinux mailing list

[Lee Forrest <lforrestster AT gmail.com>]

On Sun, Feb 18, 2007 at 07:48:07PM +1030, Greg Mayman wrote:
> On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:51:23 +0000, Lee Forrest wrote:
> 
> > So? You aren't experienced enough to judge the quality of a linux
> > book.
> 
> I _do_ have sufficient general experience to judge whether the
> stuff they are writing makes sense. And whether it is aimed at
> the dumbo or the thinking person.
> 
> What I mentioned the book for was to see if anyone with more
> Linux experience knew of it, and get their opinion.
> 
> > I don't mean that as an insult. It's just a fact. You are a
> > newbie.
> 
> Yes, to Linux most certainly.
> 
> And some parts of the book are strange to me, and will remain so
> until I get more experience.
> 
> But the further I read, the more of it is making sense.
> 
> > 9. Linux - I didn't know you could do that...
> > ISBN: 0-7821-2612-X
> > [62]http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/078212612X
> > Worst book ever. Very little technical substance.
> 
> I suspect the reviewer didn't read it. Or couldn't understand it.
> Or was looking for something else.
> 
> I am nearly 1/4 of the way through it and it is obvious that it
> has a LOT of technical substance.

If you are 1/4 of the way through already, it can't have much
technical substance at all.

Which is not to say that it won't help you.

> > 10. For dummies - Linux Programming
> > ISBN: 0-7645-0691-9
> > [63]http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764506919
> > Second worst book ever. Very basic shell scripting guide.
> 
> I don't know that one. But I am suspicious of any of the "for
> dummies" books. I would expect them to be quite boring to anyone
> above the dummy level, who needed some technicalities.

I'm with you there. But there are exceptions. For example, the "C
for Dummies" books (2) are pretty useful as references for a beginner
like me.

> > On the Amazon page, someone calling theirself "Mike Smith" gives
> > the book a glowing review. Someone who appears to be a different
> > person slaughters it.
> 
> Differences of opinion are quite common <GGGGGG>

hehe

So are ignorant bozos who think that they are experts on any
subject they've skimmed a couple of webpages on.

And people telling lies in order to get you to buy something, whether
an ideology or a product.

Or to not-buy their competitor's wares.

> > Whether any of the above reviewers know anything about linux or
> > even looked at the book, I couldn't tell you.
> 
> It does make one wonder.....
> 
> > "Talk is cheap" is an expression I never really understood until
> > I discovered the internet.
> 
> Ha! You are right on with that one!

Any chimpanzee can run windows and put up a webpage that says anything.

> > There is no single book or collection of books that will make
> > someone a successful linux runner. It takes study and practice
> > and experience.
> 
> Agreed. But a good book can help you a lot.

Sure can. 

> > You have Rute, and, IIRC, Running Linux.
> 
> Running Linux hasn't arrived yet. But they did say 4 to 6 weeks,
> and it is only just 5 weeks and a few days.

Good book. I have the 3rd edition.

> This was a commercial online seller, but I have not been able to
> contact them. Messages left on their help page get an automatic
> response that an email has been sent to me.

Another organization pretending to provide personal support with
an auto-reply utility.

> But all emails from that site are being rejected by my ISP, They
> say it doesn't ping as a genuine sending address, so their mail
> system automatically rejects them as spam.
> 
> That may be some peculiarity of their setup, or it may be a sign
> of something worse.
> 
> And they have no means of making contact apart from that help
> page. No email addresses, no snail mail addresses, no phone
> number.

I wouldn't do business with anyone that you can't get a physical
address and a phone number for. That can't prove they have a
business license in whatever community they are located in.

> So I am looking around for another copy, preferrably within
> Australia to keep the postage down.

It will probably come. They wouldn't stay in business very long if
they started stiffing people. 

How much could they make off of single book purchases if they
stiffed everyone currently ordering and ran for the hills? Not
much.

> > Everything foundational you need to know, and much more, can
> > be found in those books, even as dated as Rute and the earlier
> > (editions 1-3) of Running Linux _seem_ to be.
> 
> Rute is good.
> 
> And BTW you don't need to tell me the benefits of commandline
> working. I have been doing it for preference, whenever possible,
> for the last 35 years.

Yeh. DOS. That occurred to me after I posted :-\

But have you used a graphical integrated desktop environment? My first
computer had XP, so I am familiar with both worlds.

Lee

-- 
BasicLinux: Small is Beautiful
http://www.basiclinux.com.ru