Welcome to Community Support

One of the many things that the BBS Scene and the Linux Commmunity (as independent entities) have in common is Community-Based Support. Now it might be all well and fine to call some 1-800 Number and get a "real person" on the line RIGHT NOW because it's just so damned convenient.

However, life is a give and a take no mater what you're refering to. Community support has the bennefit of forging lasting friendships and alliances where as someone on a tech support phone line doesn't know you and doesn't want to know you. Now, how much farther do you think a friend will go for you? How much more will a friend do for you? Does a friend truly care to put his or her full effort into assiting you? The answers to these questions are obvious.

Both the BBS Scene and Linux Communities are open to meeting and befriending new people. An environment where actions and inactions have consiquences. If a phone representative treats you like crap, they may or may not ever get reprimanded for it. If a friend treats you like crap -- they've much to risk in doing so. Not just the friendship itself -- but their public reputation.

In a professional environment such as computers -- reputation is key. What proof do you have that the guy on the other end of the phone for the tech line is knowledgable? Absolutely ZERO. However in a Community Support Environment -- there are people to vouche for other people who have no reason to lie about it because theres no "job to lose" and no "product being sold".

There is third party support for Linux where you can pay for phone support, sure. But why?

Not to mention, with "long distance charges" quickly becoming a bad memory of the past -- a friend is always going to be happy to help you via phone -- as well as chat (IRC, Instant Messengers, etc...), forums and email. If there is no phone availability -- programs such as Teamspeak or Skype can provide for your VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) needs.

So hopefully you can see the obvious bennefits of a Community Support Environment. It may time take to earn the trust and respect of others -- and for them to earn yours. But, isn't it worth it?

We are all people on the Internet. Not dollar signs, numbers, trouble tickets and text on the screen. Actual real flesh and blood humans. Sometimes I think we are quick to forget that.