Re: OT Why is everyone so grouchy?

From: Thomas Cameron (thomas.cameron_at_camerontech.com)
Date: 10/22/04

  • Next message: Michael A. Peters: "Re: minimal Fedora install?" 
    To: fedora-list@redhat.com
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 11:05:21 -0500

    On Fri, 2004-10-22 at 00:24 -0500, Micheal wrote:
    > Looking over the posts in the past few days, I've noticed a tone between
    > certain people on this list that was a little less than congenial.
    > While I am not the "List Police" nor am I trying to curtail anyone's
    > freedom of expression, I would like to ask that all non-Fedora related
    > flames be taken off the list and settled via private e-mail. Yes I know
    > how to filter email, and yes I know how to block posts, but with the
    > volume of this list being as heavy at it is I can see no benefit to
    > anyone with posts like, "You're a jerk" or "You are a Bush/Kerry
    > supporter, you are a tard". Maybe it is the US election that has got
    > everyone so jumpy. No matter what happens Nov 2. I'll move on and get
    > over it.
    >
    > I would think the people paying by bandwith would agree.
    >
    >
    > Hugs and Kisses
    >
    > MC

    It's the anonymity of the keyboard.

    Example - A list member is in the store and someone walks up and asks
    "Do you know where the tomatoes are at?" I can't imagine that list
    member would yell so everyone in the store could hear "What are you,
    STUPID?!? Don't you know that you don't end a sentence with a
    preposition? And besides, the store map is right up there at the front
    of the store - look there for for where the tomatoes are! SHEESH, the
    NERVE of some people!!!"

    But that same list member, cozy behind their keyboard, will publicly
    shred some poor newbie for top posting, posting in HTML, posting a
    question about something that has been asked before or some other
    alleged breach of "netiquette." Never mind that in almost every case,
    the person posting is asking for help and is so new that they couldn't
    possibly know about "the rules." I mean, come on - do these self-
    appointed "list police" really think that they are helping in any
    constructive way?

    Let's be serious, OK? I see so many people point to some web posting of
    "netiquette" as if it were {$your_deity's} own Word. Please!
    Etiquette, whether on a mailing list or in person is *suggested* as best
    behavior. It's not The Law. Someone who breaches etiquette should
    either be gently reminded *in private* about it or ignored. A person
    who publicly belittles another for an etiquette breach is just as guilty
    - probably more so as they are being incredibly hypocritical.

    If you don't like a posting, delete it! If you publicly respond that it
    somehow doesn't fit your model of how life should be, you have really
    only hurt yourself - you are wasting your time, your bandwidth, and your
    frustration. You're not helping anyone really. If you flame the poor
    poster, you're actually damaging the community.

    It's sad, really. Behavior a list member would never engage in in
    person seems to be the norm in this forum. I first started dealing with
    Linux back in 1995, and I used Usenet pretty heavily. I had to, I was
    as rank a newbie as anyone! I really loved the sense of community and
    helpfulness I found in the various comp.os.linux.* newsgroups. It's one
    of the main things that drew me into the Linux community. Now when I
    see a member's post begin with self deprecation like "I'm just a newbie,
    please don't flame me for asking this" it really makes me sad. They've
    seen so many people take beatings that they come in like a scared puppy
    and roll over on their backs hoping not to get smacked around. Is that
    really how you want people to think of the Linux community? "I better
    prostrate myself in front of them so they won't embarrass me publicly."
    That's just wrong. If you are on this list out of a sense of service to
    the community, I applaud you. I encourage you to be of service to all,
    not just the ones who format their messages in the way you like. If you
    are on this list to prove that your geek weenie is somehow bigger than
    everyone else's, please go somewhere else or at least spare us from your
    ego.

    I know how easy it is to fall into this aggressive/confrontational
    behavior - I've done it myself. But I've taken a long hard look at
    myself and I don't like it when I act that way. I'm going to do better.
    I wonder if anyone else who regularly engages in this kind of bad
    behavior will try.

    Someone on the list (I think) recently quoted Thumper's mom from the
    movie Bambi. I think it's completely appropriate: "If you can't say
    something nice... don't say nothing at all."

    Now let's please get back to helping each other with Fedora issues, not
    flaming each other over everything else, OK?

    Thomas 

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