I have worked with computers for the best part of all my adult life. When you are surrounded by techological illiterates it's easy to seem like a guru. However at no time would I actually describe myself as a guru - I know my way round Windows and now Linux, but I'm no expert.
Over the years I've asked people for advice to solve problems. Often I notce that that they don't do things the way I do, or the way they advise. This week I realised that I to, suggest one thing, but actually do something subtly different myself. I don't know how long I've been doing this, but it's very noticable. For example, I suggested to a colleage how to use SSH at a basic level, and watch him mess about typing pass-words and pass-phrases - which he often forgets, while I do agent forwarding* on our boxes at work, and don't worry about passwords...
I now wonder how long I've been holding back useful information from others? It could just be that I read books, how-tos and man pages, I do delight in knowing odd and obscure things, and think others should do the same?
* Yes I know there are risks.
