I still solve most problems with google, but if i ever get jammed up, it's nice to have something to fall back on, even if it is sort of admitting defeat when I use it.
My problem with google is there is way too much info out there, I know I could find the solution but unless I get a really specific error the search can be exhausting. That is one of the reasons all my code has a well though out and documented error handling process. Literally every point in the code where an error can occur give a specific code which is either in a readme file (compiled code) or at the beginning in the form of comments (pl, sh). I also follow the proper way to perform error handling (check before you try).. If everyone coded and documented thoroughly enough google would be much more useful. I dont take a pride hit from asking the tech at RH about an error I have never seen and they see ten times a day, thats what the development environment is for ;)
We are leaving Novell Netware for (mostly) FreeBSD and Red Hat. My guys consider RH's tech support underwhelming. The FreeBSD support isn't bad.
Novell's tech support for Netware was fantastic. I don't know how their Linux support is.
I just prefer to solve things myself - I feel like I learn more that way - and hate not being able to. Then again, beating my head against the wall all day for something someone else can fix in 30 seconds isn't much fun, either.