Re: irc -appleiigs

[Toby Reiter <str4552@OBERLIN.EDU>]

On 3 Dec 1996, David Young wrote:

> Marvin (guenter@student.uni-kl.de) wrote:

> No, there's a purpose to the channel, but it has little to do with
> "newbies" or the Apple IIgs in general. We couldn't care less about
> you or any other "newbie"; you'll find 90% of the traffic has to do with
> UNIX administration, programming, and console development; we've all got,
> like, real jobs now and stuff. We tend to discuss them a little more 
> than the GS. It's a wonder we still remember how to tell "newbies" how
> to download SHRINKIT.BSQ.

How about #unixmasturbation? Really, a name of a channel should fit its 
content. #appleiigs should be a place where people can discuss hardware, 
software, and other aspects of using an Apple IIgs or Apple II computer.  
It doesn't matter how apathetic you as individuals or as a group are--the 
main responsibility of anyone in irc #appleiigs is to keep the topic on 
track.  There are plenty of irc channels which pertain to UNIX, and it is 
ludicrously simply to create a group (i.e. type "join #unixcohorts"--on 
most irc hosts, to my experience, this will create a new group if none 
exists.)

Granted, my experience on the Apple IIgs, irc, or UNIX is extremely 
limited, and I would love to learn more about all three of these subjects 
(well, maybe I'm not _that_ interested in irc.) How can I expect to learn 
more about the IIgs when the only free real-time discussion group doesn't 
even address the topic of its namesake?
 
One thing I had noticed about some of the names I remember from #appleiigs 
is that they were Objectivists.  Now, I don't mean to imply anything about 
Ayn Rand, but it seems to me that Objectivists on the whole--because they 
embrace an idealogy in which self-interest is glorified and in which all 
interactions between humans are seen as the result of self-service--tend to 
not be sympathetic to the conditions of others.  They tend to accept "Get a 
life!", "You're and idiot!" and "Why didn't you read the f**king Technical 
Manual?" as logical appropriate statements.  I don't know about anyone 
else, but I feel that it is my duty to help others, not their privilege 
that I do so.

I know that this posting may seem a bit pointed, rude, and 
over-generalized, but I truly feel that this has become a problem in the 
Apple II world.  More and more, the people who are beginning to use 
computers are less aware of how to use them, because of the shift of the 
computer from "nerd toy" to "necessary commodity".  It is imperative, 
therefore, that we understand, both on an intellectual and emotional 
level, the problems people are having with their computers.  As computers 
become more and more a tool for communication, the relationship between 
computer user and computer will become increasingly psychological.  A 
person who is already frustrated with the actions of an inanimate object 
will become even more disheartened if he or she gets a negative human 
response.  I feel that many people here are excessively intolerant and 
too demanding. Sure, it can be annoying to have to answer questions that 
are in the FAQ, but, just like the parable of the child too ignorant to 
even know how to ask the question, newbies must be gently guided into the 
world of Apple II. Always be as kind as you possibly can.  I know a lot 
of you have a Noble communication style, meaning that you like to be 
direct (or blunt depending on one's perspective) but it's important to 
remember that not everyone works that way.

These are just some things to keep in mind,
Toby Reiter