Hi,
I am new to linux. when I say new I mean I am not an expert linux user. As a user who benefits from a list like this I would like to say something. I never ask questions before I do a search (not only in google) or as u say without Reading TFM. I try to get the solution by myself all the time. I like linux a lot. I suggest people to use linux. I tell them there are excellent people around who can guide you anytime you have a problem. I strongly believe only linux has got such a wonderful community unlike Windows. But when I see posts like these I definitely fear asking questions.
As a novice I thank you all for providing such a great support to linux community. Though I hardly raised 1 or 2 questions, I started liking linux only after I see this wonderful community. It gives me a feeling I should contribute as much as I could to this community. For a user like me every word you say in this list matters.
Why this community has to compare itself with a job of a call center person? This time and effort that you put in here is worth as good as the one who took the time to write a kernel and made it publicly available.
Let me ask you one question. I believe this list is to help develop linux and help people to use linux. If this is correct why people here compare themselves with those providing technical support. You should realise you are doing something great than even those providing tech support. You can always guide people to ask good questions like the one in this link http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html. If they do not comply with this you always have the choice of not answering his questions. What more is required for a user to understand when his question is completely ignored?
Always a person's thoughts are wrong and not the person himself. Help him change his thoughts.
-- True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. And in knowing that you know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all. -Socrates
Regards, Raj