I think learning should be rounded - including books, user groups, tools, online videos, training, articles, white papers, blogs, and online forums. I see forums as a part of learning but not one that goes before or after any of the others. The problem comes when it is the only source of learning.


>It does appear that some just want to use online forums as a crutch. And blogs like Andy's want to take that crutch away.
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>>I think it's very easy to pick out human failings for critique.
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>>I was unaware that I was picking out human failings for critique. I was merely saying that one must invest in some study in order to learn .NET and that one is not going to be able to do so very easily simply by asking quesiton piecemeal on some forum.
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>>So some human beings have a tendency to ask dumb questions online leading to the whole "RTFM/Google is your friend" set of responses.
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>>I am sure that you have heard this before: the only dumb question is the one that you don't ask. However, many people do not even bother to look at the help file before posting a question because it is so easy to get a response.
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>>And some might also observe that there are risks in casting the first stone.
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>>Who is casting stones? I am truly baffled by this statement.
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>> Maybe it's better to function as a community with all its strengths and weaknesses, in which case the strong can commit to support the weak because that's what good people do.
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>>Do you mean "From each according to his ability and to each according to his need"? What this does is to create a community of needy people.
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>>This conversation brings to mind the old adage:
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>>Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
>>Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.
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>>or - alternatively:
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>>Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
>>Teach a man to fish; and you will not have to listen to his incessant whining about how hungry he is.
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>>Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
>>Teach a man to fish; and you can sell him fishing equipment.
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>>Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
>>Teach a man to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks.
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>>Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
>>Unless he doesn't like sushi—then you also have to teach him to cook. -- Auren Hoffman, Herald Philosopher
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>>Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
>>Teach a man to fish, and he will sit in the boat and drink beer all day. -- OldFox
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>>Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
>>Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.
>>Teach a man to sell fish and he eats steak.