From: Arona Ndiaye (arona1@em8s.com)
Date: Fri Apr 06 2001 - 16:08:29 MDT
We have a different approach. A dumbed down version of something IS NOT that
something...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jimmy Wales" <jwales@aristotle.bomis.com>
To: <sl4@sysopmind.com>
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2001 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: Si definition of Friendliess
> Arona Ndiaye wrote:
> > With all due respect Chris, should I need to 'tear down' a Chevy 350
engine
> > I would spend time & sweat on learning anything I can about engines
(even if
> > it takes me 3 years) before asking for help... or I'd ask someone else
to do
> > it. I wouldn't expect someone to dumb it down for me.
>
> ???
>
> Of course you would expect someone to "dumb it down" for you, wouldn't
you?
> That's the best way to learn!
>
> When you want to learn physics, you don't (unless you already have a very
strong
> background in advanced mathematics or something) go to the library and
start reading
> scientific journals. You start with a textbook that explains everything
in a step
> by step fashion, and you supplement it with various popular science books
by people
> like Stephen Hawkings, to get an idea of the big picture issues at a level
you can
> grasp without advanced technical knowledge. Later, if you get really good
at it,
> you can read the actual scientific papers written by the leaders in the
field.
>
> If I wanted to learn to tear down a Chevy 350, I wouldn't go right out
> and get the technical specifications manual and start puzzling over
> it. I wouldn't just grab a hammer and hacksaw and start opening it
> up, either. I'd look for a good book on the subject, hopefully
> including lots of easy-to-understand diagrams and step-by-step
> explanations.
>
> And I'd *start* by "asking for help", which would mean taking a class
> at a local community college.
>
> I might even look on the web, but if I found a site that didn't suit
> my current context of knowledge, I'd bookmark it and look for
> something more basic, something to get me up to speed. Maybe there's
> a mailing list where I could meet people like Chris, friendly people
> eager to help out the 'newbie' to their field.
>
> It's much faster to learn in this way. Why waste 3 years learning a
> mechanical task? If you need to learn it, you can learn it in just a
> few months if you are willing to ask for help.
>
> --Jimbo
>
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