[R] two questions for R beginner

[Brandon Zicha]

>>> What were your biggest misconceptions or
>>> stumbling blocks to getting up and running
>>> with R?

Easy.  I terms of materials I have been unable to find good books that  
introduce users to R from the perspective of someone familiar only  
with packages like SPSS or STATA, or not familiar with statistics  
packages at all.  Even introduction texts use jargon without  
introducing it.

I think that R-help files should be more thorough than they are, and  
contain more examples.  I thought that STATA help files were sparse!   
The notion that 'R is a user community and thus they do this in their  
spare time' is no excuse for those creating new tools for R not  
developing complete help files.  It doesn't take that much time  
relative to actually creating the new function.

In terms of actual R use - creating, using, and manipulating data are  
the biggest frustration for those of the 'spreadsheet generation'.  I  
get the impression that one needs to not merely understand, but be  
fully fluent in the jargon of matrix mathematics to even know what is  
going on half the time.  I find myself - even now - using 'rules of  
thumb' that 'seemed to work' rather than fully understanding what I am  
doing.  It is particularly discouraging when many of those 'intro  
books' suggest using something besides R for data manipulation - how  
clumsy is that!?

I find the actual programming syntax itself is the easiest part to  
master.  It is certainly more flexible - but without a particularly  
sufficient increase in complexity - than trying to write script in  
SPSS and STATA.

Brandon Zicha