6 ms·

I've had similar experiences with git or other tools - not being able to help a junior dev because the GUI they're using is obfuscating whatever it is the under

I've had similar experiences with git or other tools - not being able to help a junior dev because the GUI they're using is obfuscating whatever it is the underlying tool is trying to do. I think the irony is that we've got this insanely complex version control system that actually could have several valid use cases for what is likely a common path for users in a GUI. I'm also not sure referring to people as "noobs" is going to help you empathize with their difficulty. ;)

gavinray 5y ago
Eh, that term seems to have fallen out of favor compared to when I was a growing up but I don't think it necessarily has a negative connotation. I remember being in programming and software related IRCs at 10-11 years old having no earthly clue what in the fuck I was doing, asking adults questions and getting called a "noob". Well, yeah, it was true. (I also made damn sure they had no idea I was a child.) They could have said "inexperienced person" but that's not got quite the same ring and people are lazy, aye? Haha
- ketzu 5y ago
  My personal experience around noob is covered by the ones I found on ~~most~~ edit: the most high search-ranked online explanations: Mostly negatively conotated, deregatory version of newbie. Often associated with people not sufficiently able to learn or at least not learning on their own. Examples: * https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/noob https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/noob * https://www.etymonline.com/word/noob https://www.etymonline.com/word/noob Examples not containing the negative connotation: * https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noob https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noob * https://neologisms.rice.edu/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=2471 https://neologisms.rice.edu/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=2471 It might be something used quite differently by two similar groups, so it is good to be aware that other people may use it the other way.
  - b3morales 5y ago
    I often see people self-describe as noobs when asking technical questions, for example in programming Reddits. I couldn't say that I understand the reason for it, though.
    - edoceo 5y ago
      Noob is the first step to being a master. So, those "noob"s are indicating they're early in the process.
    - derac 5y ago
      Saying you're a novice when asking for help can be useful. People will use less jargon and point to more accessible resources, etc.
  - cratermoon 5y ago
    I've been around long enough and in enough circles that I have seen 'noob' go from mildly chiding to full-on insult. It used to be that in some communities, being referred to as a noob was a sort of "hey check out the new guy" ribbing. A noob was just someone starting out, a neophyte. It was the impatient and rude who later decided that being a noob was a bad thing.
IgorPartola 5y ago
“Hey can you help me? I stood up a kratr pod and it’s lined to fundle but for some reason when I try to press the bin tree to the overlay layer the reznik instance on my laptop says ‘out of tokens’. Have you ever encountered this?” No, no I have not.
- dagw 5y ago
  Having been troubleshooting computers since I was literally 8 years old (like I'm sure many of us here have) I feel reasonably comfortable I could at least be helpful solving this problem as well. Every problem I have to troubleshoot is almost by definition one I've never encountered before.
  - nuclearnice1 5y ago
    100% Great attitude. I’ll meet you where you are and help out.
  - IgorPartola 5y ago
    I can help. It doesn’t mean I’ve encountered it before.
- CrazyPyroLinux 5y ago
  Yup - Every darn time. Reminds me of "How it feels to learn JavaScript in 2016" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12628921 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12628921
  - IgorPartola 5y ago
    Nothing has changed in 5 years, has it?
    - CRConrad 5y ago
      Let's hope not, then I can use it as a template.
    - 5y ago

gavinray 5y ago

Eh, that term seems to have fallen out of favor compared to when I was a growing up but I don't think it necessarily has a negative connotation. I remember being in programming and software related IRCs at 10-11 years old having no earthly clue what in the fuck I was doing, asking adults questions and getting called a "noob". Well, yeah, it was true. (I also made damn sure they had no idea I was a child.) They could have said "inexperienced person" but that's not got quite the same ring and people are lazy, aye? Haha

ketzu 5y ago
My personal experience around noob is covered by the ones I found on ~~most~~ edit: the most high search-ranked online explanations: Mostly negatively conotated, deregatory version of newbie. Often associated with people not sufficiently able to learn or at least not learning on their own. Examples: * https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/noob https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/noob * https://www.etymonline.com/word/noob https://www.etymonline.com/word/noob Examples not containing the negative connotation: * https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noob https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noob * https://neologisms.rice.edu/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=2471 https://neologisms.rice.edu/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=2471 It might be something used quite differently by two similar groups, so it is good to be aware that other people may use it the other way.
- b3morales 5y ago
  I often see people self-describe as noobs when asking technical questions, for example in programming Reddits. I couldn't say that I understand the reason for it, though.
  - edoceo 5y ago
    Noob is the first step to being a master. So, those "noob"s are indicating they're early in the process.
  - derac 5y ago
    Saying you're a novice when asking for help can be useful. People will use less jargon and point to more accessible resources, etc.
- cratermoon 5y ago
  I've been around long enough and in enough circles that I have seen 'noob' go from mildly chiding to full-on insult. It used to be that in some communities, being referred to as a noob was a sort of "hey check out the new guy" ribbing. A noob was just someone starting out, a neophyte. It was the impatient and rude who later decided that being a noob was a bad thing.

IgorPartola 5y ago

“Hey can you help me? I stood up a kratr pod and it’s lined to fundle but for some reason when I try to press the bin tree to the overlay layer the reznik instance on my laptop says ‘out of tokens’. Have you ever encountered this?” No, no I have not.

dagw 5y ago
Having been troubleshooting computers since I was literally 8 years old (like I'm sure many of us here have) I feel reasonably comfortable I could at least be helpful solving this problem as well. Every problem I have to troubleshoot is almost by definition one I've never encountered before.
- nuclearnice1 5y ago
  100% Great attitude. I’ll meet you where you are and help out.
- IgorPartola 5y ago
  I can help. It doesn’t mean I’ve encountered it before.
CrazyPyroLinux 5y ago
Yup - Every darn time. Reminds me of "How it feels to learn JavaScript in 2016" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12628921 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12628921
- IgorPartola 5y ago
  Nothing has changed in 5 years, has it?
  - CRConrad 5y ago
    Let's hope not, then I can use it as a template.
  - 5y ago