Poll: what constitutes a newbie

[tuebinger]

How long before a newbie is no longer considered a newbie? 3 months? 6 months? 1 year? Or do you consider it more of an experience issue. If so, then what tasks would a user have to have under his/her belt to be counted as crossing over from newbie to experienced user? (For example, would a newbie be promoted to experienced user once they have: compiled a program, run a script, learned a programming language, set up a server, built their own computer from scratch?)

[LaRoza]

When you can do everything you want to do you are no longer a newbie.

[Presto123]

LOL...I'm a newbie, still. My coffee beans still haven't cured, so to speak.

[jrharvey]

When you can do everything you want to do you are no longer a newbie.

In that case, the majority of us here are newbies. Theres always something new to stump someone.

[paintba||er]

It's a matter of experience and ability, not time.

[k2t0f12d]

The state of newbie is relative to the level of experience of the one whose world is being entered and the experience of the one who is entering.

[EdThaSlayer]

I guess when you pass the 1,000 beans mark you have lost your newbie status. Or, being a member on this site for 1 year(hopefully, since that will make lose my newbie status).

[hyperair]

Well considering everyone who has voted so far has voted for the last optionI think there really isn't a question here is there ;) Also, by EdThaSlayer's statement, I've lost my newbie status some time back =D 1000+ beans.

[vishzilla]

You're no longer a newbie when you are aware how to go about!

[SomeGuyDude]

Being a newbie isn't about time, per se, it's about knowledge.

You can use Linux for five years but if you don't know how to install something without step-by-step instructions you're a newbie. Likewise you might pick it up really fast and in a month you're working in the terminal for most things.

[LaRoza]

In that case, the majority of us here are newbies. Theres always something new to stump someone.

When you reach the level of knowledge you want, you are no longer a newbie, not when you reach the level of knowledge where you are no longer stumped.

[Irihapeti]

I think I'll always be a newbie. It will just be about different things. There is always more to learn.

[gn2]

I hope I will always be a newbie.

I'd hate to be a crusty old world weary geek.

[Patrick-Ruff]

bean count doesn't constitute not being a newbie. I think it's entirely possible to have over 1000 posts and still being a newbie. newbies DO post a lot ;).

I think you lose your newbie label when you can do what you want to do without someone holding your hand through the process.

[billgoldberg]

I'm still a newbie in some areas, in others I can handle myself perfectly.

Like compiling software isn't a problem, messing with xorg.conf isn't a problem.

In other areas like installing printers, setting up samba, shh, ... I am as green as they come.

[sloggerkhan]

Biggies:
Noobs who try to install .exe files or search the internet for linux programs and then try to install tar.gz files instead of using synaptic.
Of course most of these people probably give up before figuring things out.

[rolnics]

Being a newbie isn't about time, per se, it's about knowledge.

You can use Linux for five years but if you don't know how to install something without step-by-step instructions you're a newbie. Likewise you might pick it up really fast and in a month you're working in the terminal for most things.

I agree with you, I've been using Ubuntu for just under a year, and I'm still having to go back to guides for simple stuff, but having said that I've got a working system. It's just a matter of me sitting down and learning some commands to help myself.

Give it time and I'll get there . . . . . . . . . . . now where's that manual?

[macogw]

You can use Linux for five years but if you don't know how to install something without step-by-step instructions you're a newbie. Likewise you might pick it up really fast and in a month you're working in the terminal for most things.

Agreed. It's very annoying how when you apply for jobs they think if you have less than a year's experience you know nothing. It could just mean you learn fast.

[Erik Trybom]

You're no longer a newbie when you've learnt how to learn, so to speak. When you know what to look for and which questions to ask.

In Linux, gaining this knowledge this takes a few months.

[forrestcupp]

I don't think it has anything to do with experience or knowledge.

When I was working in a factory, within 6 months of running a certain machine, I knew more about how that machine worked than a guy who had done it for 10 years. Yet I was a newbie and he wasn't.

But if it's about length of time, I think that it's relative. The longer I go as a member of these forums, the longer it takes for new people to stop being newbies.

[tuebinger]

I suspected most people might opt for choice 4. That's what I did. I thought I was very proficient with computers until I started using Linux, now I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of a huge repository of technical knowledge. It's a challenge to make things work at times but it feels good when I'm successful.

Because of the helpuflness of Ubuntu forums and its members I'm experiencing success more an more now.

Thanks for all the comments everyone!

[ÜbuntuMensch]

I think 3 months, if you spend some time regularly browsing the threads and reading about things that interest you or are issues with your setup.

After that, I think you loose the qualifier newbie. Just because, you're not that new.

Reaching some level of proficiency is another thing...

And I would imagine this forum - Ubuntu in general - gets greener newbs than other distros because it is the most "popular" and even targeted towards a less (Linux-) experienced base.

As far as understanding the basics of how Ubuntu works and having a working system, if you haven't done it in 3 months then I think you never will.

[grte]

When you understand enough that you can help yourself when no answer is immediately apparent, then you are no longer a noob.

Of course, helping yourself does not necessarily mean not asking questions of others. But there's a certain way of going about it. Honestly, it's pretty nebulous. If you use a search engine, wikis, and other sources of non-interactive help before turning to interactive assistance, and find the answer to your solution more often then not, your are probably not a newbie.

[Vitamin-Carrot]

I R TEH ROBOT KING OF TEH NOOBLING THINGS!

I am proud to be a newbie, no matter what i do im still a newbie even if i have masterd somehting i still consider myself a newbie. to me you can always know more and do better.

btw the label newbie or n00b can essentailly put people off an activity.

[cprofitt]

The state of newbie is relative to the level of experience of the one whose world is being entered and the experience of the one who is entering.


I was going to say one loses their newbie status once we have run your name through the Enigma machine and decoded its super secret meaning. Its either that or when we know what the ultimate question, but to figure that out I think we will need an even more powerful computer.

:)

As for my true definition...

I think we are all newbies... forever... its just a matter of how newbie we are.

[red_Marvin]

When we stop learning.


I want to stay a newbie.