Louisville, KY
Greg is a retired neurologist in Louisville, Kentucky, with a long-standing interest in computers and programming, beginning with Fortran IV in the 1960s. When Linux and open source software came along, it kindled a commitment to learning more, and eventually contributing. He is a member of the Scribus Team.
Authored Comments
One of the big issues in those times related to the hardware, as in various chipsets, for various functions, even the video chip. There were a limited number of drivers on the Linux CDs, so you had to fish around in a pre-Google way to find what you needed. You knew that the manufacturer of the computer was going to be of no assistance in helping you install Linux.
There is a lot of help that comes from a mail list. First of all, you can get to see the range of people who ask or answer questions on the list, but perhaps more importantly, how supportive they are to inexperienced users. When someone answers a legitimate question rudely, does someone else call them out about it, asking them to be more kind? Are legitimate questions ignored? Sometimes what looks like you're being ignored is that a question is not framed well, so some persistence is necessary. Any persistent question should receive some answer eventually.
If you don't feel you can relate to the mail list, maybe you're not going to relate well to the project's community either.