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Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2001 11:12:32 +1000
To: ant-dev@jakarta.apache.org
From: Peter Donald <donaldp@apache.org>
Subject: RE: Configure->Template->Build
Cc: "'ant-dev@jakarta.apache.org'" <ant-dev@jakarta.apache.org>
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 oteltools.com>
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At 07:06 PM 6/7/01 -0400, Jesse Tilly wrote:
>> true - but it is supporting a more advanced build developer which is
>> infinitly easier. That said I always planned to add an if task to ant
>> (though host it elsewhere), so ...
>
>I couldn't let this go by.  ;)
>
>Supporting the "more advanced build developer" is *not* easier.  Supporting
>the "more advanced" anything has, in my experience, always been much much
>harder than answering the questions of newbies.  Then again, I'm a fairly
>patient guy and probably could find interest in watching paint dry.

I actually experience the opposite (though not in relation to 'build
developers'). I generally say something like - heres the technology, heres
the pros, heres the cons, look here to learn more. Occasionally I will get
a phone call stating - I don't understand X, or Y isn't clear or I think
you can do Z better this way. However most of these are simple to answer.

When teachning less advanced developers I generally have to repeatedly go
over the same concepts and force feed them data (they generally will not
try to learn things for themselves).

... hmm I just realized I was meaning experienced or knowledgable when I
say advanced ;)

Cheers,

Pete

*-----------------------------------------------------*
| "Faced with the choice between changing one's mind, |
| and proving that there is no need to do so - almost |
| everyone gets busy on the proof."                   |
|              - John Kenneth Galbraith               |
*-----------------------------------------------------*