[Pw_forum] Answers and Questions

[Eric Abel]

>From: "Axel Kohlmeyer" <akohlmey at cmm.upenn.edu>
>Reply-To: pw_forum at pwscf.org
>To: pw_forum at pwscf.org
>Subject: Re: [Pw_forum] Answers and Questions
>Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:41:32 -0400
>
>On 8/31/06, Eric Abel <etabel at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>[...]
>
>>From my perspective, I would say that some people are too eager to ask
>>questions...the answers they seek are clearly present in the current
>>available resources.   It just takes a little elbow grease to find them.
>>It's much easier to simply post a question to the forum.  I don't support
>>this...researching one's own problem is far more educational than having
>>someone answer it for you.  We all learned this in the 8th grade.  That
>
>yep. but you also have to understand, that people can get carried away.
>my strategy towards this is to gradually provide less direct information
>and move to point out ways to how to obtain the information yourself.
>some people need to be helped across the first big barrier before they
>realize that investing effort into finding the right answers
>themselves pays off.
>the whole thing is a matter of finding the right balance and understanding
>the background.
>
>>said, I feel that these wiki ideas are great, as they would make it easier
>>to find answers.  I don't know if this is planned but the wikis should 
>>also
>>contain the reference papers which disuss the thoery that goes into pwscf.
>
><grin>you should have looked into the mailing list archives, this has
>been discussed recently</grin>
>please head over to:
>http://www.quantum-espresso.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
>and ask to get an account (well actually you can probably
>request it in person. ;-) ). i have made the experience, that
>people who have just learned a method or how to use a tool
>(i.e. advanced beginners) write the best documentation.

I would be happy to contribute what I've learned to the PWSCF community.  I 
agree that "advanced beginners" make good teachers, as they tend to be able 
to "dumb the material down" so that the "beginning beginners" can follow.

Eric

>
>cheers,
>  axel.
>
>>As far as the developers are concerned, I am truly impressed with their
>>patience and competence.  It is intimidating enough for a graduate student
>>and pwscf beginner to post to the forum, it would be much worse if those
>>answering the questions were condescending.  Instead, they treat every
>>question more or less equally, and for that I applaud them.
>
>
>>
>>Thank you for all of your hard work and patience.
>>
>>Eric Abel
>>Ph.D. Student, M.I.T.
>>
>>
>
>
>
>--
>=======================================================================
>Axel Kohlmeyer   akohlmey at cmm.chem.upenn.edu   http://www.cmm.upenn.edu
>  Center for Molecular Modeling   --   University of Pennsylvania
>Department of Chemistry, 231 S.34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323
>tel: 1-215-898-1582,  fax: 1-215-573-6233,  office-tel: 1-215-898-5425
>=======================================================================
>If you make something idiot-proof, the universe creates a better idiot.
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