Python library (was Re: * separated values)

[Cliff Wells]

On Fri, 18 Jan 2002 00:18:46 -0500
Joshua Muskovitz wrote:

> > Believe me, I'm unhappily aware of the level of knowledge of the common
> > Windows user.  Still, aren't these people aspiring programmers? 
Shouldn't
> > they have just a /bit/ more tenacity?  Sigh...
> 
> You mean, shouldn't they just learn to cope with the way things are?
> (Sorry, no smiley this time.)

No, it just means that if you are a programmer (or ever expect to become
one), you need to learn to RTFM, use search engines, etc.  More
importantly, don't give up the first time something doesn't work, look a
little deeper, etc.  

There is much activity in software development that has little to do with
writing code.  Learning to read documentation is part of it.  If someone
doesn't have the tenacity to figure out how to download a couple of files,
then I have serious doubts whether they have the tenacity to teach
themselves a programming language, no matter how friendly that language.

Besides, as I noted later in my post, I think it would be best to have a
"kitchen-sink" download (much like we have now) to alleviate this issue. 
It could be labeled "If you don't know what you're doing, download this!"
at the top of the page.  If they can't deal with that, then I suppose
someone could go to their house, download it for them, perhaps write a
small progam for them, and maybe even think of questions for them to post
to this list.

-- 
Cliff Wells
Software Engineer
Logiplex Corporation (www.logiplex.net)
(503) 978-6726 x308
(800) 735-0555 x308