[PLUG] Good linux book

[Russ Johnson]

At 10:05 PM 7/22/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>The
>question usually is "I want to do this, HOW to I do
>it?" not "I can do this, WHY would I want to do so?".

Not necessarily. "Why?" is a very good question, and an important one.

 From the original query, I take it to mean that the subject in question 
wishes to understand why they are doing the configuring they're doing. They 
aren't content with simply following someones' instructions because they're 
told to.

Why do we use a firewall?

Why do we configure postfix the way we do?

Why do we... etc.

If we stop asking why, then we're just repeating what others before us have 
done, and we'll all be in trouble when a flaw is found. One of the reasons 
we have freedom of the press in this country is so that someone will 
continue to ask, "Why?"

In my mind, the why question is every bit as important as the how question. 
In fact, the why question should be answered satisfactorily, prior to one 
asking the how question.

Why should I ask how to do something, if doing so, makes no sense?

Just because one can do a thing, does not mean that one *should* do that 
thing. If there is a compelling reason to do it, then that may be the 
answer to the question of, "why?"

I, and I assume the person in question here too, want to know why I must do 
these things, not simply that I must do them. Then let me decide for myself 
if I really *must* do them.


Russ Johnson
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