Getting an Answer Is One Thing, Learning Is Another

In response to your eWeek article of July 29: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,427037,00.asp

I am filled with admiration for the cadre of Oracle experts who are regular contributors to the comp.databases.oracle.* newsgroups (Daniel Morgan, Richard Foote, Howard J. Rogers, Sybrand Bakker, Peter Sharman, Niall Litchfield, Norman Dunbar and others). Daily, these selfless individuals freely donate their time and the benefits of their knowledge and experiences, without pecuniary reward and with only the occasional word of praise.

Most of the questions appearing on the newsgroup are of the type described in your article, and they are usually answered (cheerfully, sarcastically or brutally) with either the specific information requested or an admonition to consult the Oracle documentation, but often with the important rider added: "Tell us what it is that you are trying to accomplish, and we can advise you on the best techniques to use, and why". Not only that, but they are always striving to expand the fundamental knowledge of all questioners, to better equip them to solve their own problems in future, and to eliminate the damaging assumptions and myths which so often dominate our choices in a landscape of unmanageable complexity.

Regards,
Martin Doherty