Cygwin Mailing list

[Jani Tiainen]

Chris Jefferson wrote:

> Gareth Pearce wrote:
>>
>> As obviously you're a mailing list professional, I'm sure you checked the
>> mailing list archives before posting on this topic.
>>
>> Hence there is no need for me to reply.

Still, you replied..? =)

>> As implied by my above statement, the topic has already been discussed.
>> Therefore given the subject line of this email, you don't even need to 
>> check
>> the mailing list archives to work out the previous answer!
>
> I apologise for replying to this, but I feel I must.

Well, no apologies because you just pointed out biggest flaw in this
kind of a lists. This is not unique feature, it happens everywhere where
  lifespan of list grows, people come and go, but that small, set of
people - the core, stays same from year to year. People just get
overwhelmed with "stupid" questions.

> As a "casual" reader of the cygwin mailing list, I feel there has been 
> an increasing number of mails sent to the list like this one, where 
> various members seem to be competing to see who can come up with the 
> most patronising and sarcastic replies to newbies. Such messages I feel 
> serve no purpose, and I find it ironic that these people are generating 
> more "pointless" on-list messages than the newbies who they are correcting.

Myself being just "casual" reader also, from time to time I read this
NG. Not all the time, most of the time I just skip all messages.

Now if you just think of "quality" of posts where just is said "This has
been discussed, search archives". Well if bother to reply at all, why
not bring some content, e.g. title of thread that discussion were. Oh
wait... but that would take few more words to type, and of course, it
would be too informative, note that still this is _cygwin_ list, an
cygwin is not for newbies. (*evil grin*).

> While I do not claim any kind of authority, could I suggest perhaps a)
> being a little nicer to newbies (it isn't that hard really) and b) if
> you feel the need for a post without any useful content (perhaps just
> saying "search the archives") to send it just to the author of the
> mail in question?

Well, it's not anything about authority, just basic manners when
dealing... Hmm, you could say "customer support" here...

-- 

Jani Tiainen




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