Hi,
I did not intend to use "newbies" in a pejorative or dismissive sense, any more than I am a "newbie" myself because I don't understand the depth of feeling held by Chinese abused by Japanese, or WWII Jews by Germans. (strong metaphors used intentionally, as that is another area where both sides are right - those that can't forgive the horrors and atrocities, and those who can; and those who didn't experience the horrors and atrocities and horrors themselves and so can NEVER understand...I myself, not having experienced the widespread abuses that lead to culture-wide reverse bigotry, can only take the intellectually detached "forgive, but never forget" "higher road.")
But as an adjective, I used it because it is apropos and relevant - to newbies, there often IS no larger historical context to evaluate acts or judge a situation.
And sometimes, that's a good thing...
;-)
Afterall, do we want "Chinese" to hate "Japanese" forever? Should "Germans" (more appropriate Nazis, but then, were even all Nazi's guilty?) be held accountable for WWII acts forever? Are Chinese and Japanese and Germans even static, appropriate "generalizations?"
In the same vein, just because "old timers" know that Swiss high horology "over-exuberant marketing and PR" has been going on for decades, even centuries, doesn't mean it should be any more tolerated or acceptable. Anyone remember when Swiss products were considered "cheap imitations" of American, and English, and ... high end products?
(hmmm...aside...is it even fair to characterize this as "Swiss" and not just "marketing and PR" in general? Food for another thread and discussion...)
So, "newbies" need not be dismissive nor a pejorative...
Cheers,
TM
ps: on the other hand, when newbies strut around acting like they are "know alls and end-alls" that's another scenario altogether...in this case, newbies refers to ANYONE who is an arrogant SOB who feel they know everything and everyone who doesn't agree with them are idiots or fools...