[TriLUG] Ubuntu stuff

[Rock Roskam]

 Personally I am now a little confused.  I like the guide. What is the official resource?  I am not going to wait on an irc channel or wade through forums to find the answers that appear in the guide.  I try them and see if they work.


Rock 

-----Original Message-----
From: trilug-bounces at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-bounces at trilug.org] On Behalf Of crimsun at fungus.sh.nu
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 12:34 AM
To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] Ubuntu stuff

On Mon, Aug 15, 2005 at 08:52:14PM -0400, Dan wrote:
> >Using a wiki established by the development community helps to 
> >improve ubuntu. If the user base turns to other sources for help 
> >rather than looking within the ubuntu community, it diminishes the 
> >quality of the distribution. It's not hard to see why.

This point is an interesting one: By incorporating the documentation into one central location, both users and developers can contribute to the distribution by updating and correcting procedures and tips.

> It might help the developers... but is ubuntu only that?  "If the user 
> community turns to other sources for help, rather than looking within, 
> it diminishes the community..."  You actually say that?
> 
> That wiki solved a need that I had... something that the *true
> developers* didn't solve.  I know where I place the thanks.

It's wonderful that there are additional resources outside the official wiki. No one is implying that additional documentation in and of itself is "bad". However, when there is no explanation of said actions, then we begin to see problems. Take a look at the references to the Intel High Definition Audio or Creative Sound Blaster Audigy chipset/cards in the forum and in the guide. Or ALSA dmix. Or multiple sound cards. I've actually explained in the general support channel on innumerable occasions WHY certain actions should be avoided, because those actions cause big headaches. I'm rather disappointed that only a very small minority of people I've attempted to assist have actually bothered to heed my explanations.

Ubuntu is a distribution that's shaped by its users. I realize that not every user has time to devote to such a community project, but that's not going to stop me from doing my part. Since many users are diverting their attention from the official documentation on the wiki, obviously there's something in unofficial documentation that's "doing the job".
We've actually tried to incorporate that unofficial documentation with rather acrimonious results. Why shouldn't ubuntuguide want to be part of the wiki if it's a useful resource?

> >If you like what you see on the website you linked to, it behooves 
> >you to help fold it back into the ubuntu community by contributing to 
> >the wiki or by contacting the page's maintainer about contributing to 
> >ubuntu's development.
> >
> 
> Behooves me?  How so?  Exactly what is it that I owe and to whom do I 
> owe it?

Ubuntu and its supporting communities are free and will remain so.
http://www.ubuntulinux.org/community/conduct states that "We improve on the work of others, which we have been given freely, and then share our improvements on the same basis." While no one is REQUIRED to contribute in return for using Ubuntu, the entire community process underlying the distribution depends on all of us sharing freely.

It is such a western attitude that "I don't owe you anything". In fact, I myself owe a great deal to many people, TriLUG members and participants included. I choose to contribute in return because I feel passionately regarding Free/Libre/Open Source Software, and I hope you come to feel similarly if you find FLOSS useful.

> they are and that has been my whole point... I *like* Ubuntu a lot. 
> Ubuntu is my newest greatest thing... but the Ubuntu Moonies[1] are 
> getting on my nerves.

In every group there are zealots. While I don't find myself to be overzealous, I know I am quite passionate about Debian and Ubuntu.
Look around - most people who have interacted with me personally and through mailing lists will find that there ARE level-headed Debian- and Ubuntu practitioners (not to say anything regarding Moonies).

Thanks,

-- 
Daniel T. Chen          crimsun at fungus.sh.nu
GPG key:   www.sh.nu/~crimsun/pubkey.gpg.asc