We Need to Talk About the Definition of "Beginner"

[writerkit]

I got a beginner's Linux system administration book out of the library!

...it includes this in the introduction: "We assume you are already familiar with Microsoft Windows servers at a power user level or better. We assume that you are familiar with the terms (and some concepts) necessary to run a small-to-medium-sized Windows Network."

So at that point you're no longer a beginner. Their excuse is essentially "But y'see, you're a beginner at Linux." I'm pretty sure the principles of running a network are not so different from OS to OS that you're starting completely from scratch when learning a new one. And they don't think you are either, because they're assuming you have a lot of transferable knowledge. So not a beginner.

Then again, it also opens the introduction by quoting Linus Torvalds' introductory newsgroup post about Linux from 1991 which apparently included the phrase "when men were men and wrote their own device drivers," which tells you something about their angle right there.

This book is likely headed back to the library and I will skim our shelves for a more sensible one and probably wind up ordering from elsewhere.

Comments

[elusiveat]

This sounds really frustrating. Have you tried asking around on any internet forums for genuine beginner materials? I wonder whether real humans might be more useful for tracking down the right level. : \

Anyway, sympathies.