Re: Famous Spammer Uses Challenge-Responses

From: Floyd L. Davidson (floyd_at_barrow.com)
Date: 07/18/04 

Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 08:47:02 -0800

Andreas Janssen <andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>Floyd L. Davidson (<floyd@barrow.com>) wrote:
>
>> As I noted, it is impossible for me to prevent a reader from
>> using foolish configuration options or poorly designed software.
>> [...]
>> You do realize that if text is formatted into columns, for
>> example to present a table of useful information in a readable
>> manner, *you* are going to have a mess rather than anything
>> useful.
>
>If a user feels the need to do it, he or she can switch to monospaced
>fonts anytime. With knode all I have to do is to press "x", and your
>message (especially diagrams, tables and all kind of ASCII art) will be
>displayed the way you wrote it. Yet I definitely don't prefer to read
>large amounts of text that way. I prefer some sans-serif font like
>Arial, Verdana or Helvetica, no matter what /you/ think is good for me.

However, I'm *not* selecting your font (heh heh, but if I could,
I would). For example, I don't care if you prefer serif or
san-serif. I'm not really all that upset if you insist on using
proportional fonts either, as long as you are indeed able to
switch easily to something that corrects the resulting problems.

(Personally, I don't agree with you on the proportional font
part, but do on everything else for personal preferences. I
also do understand how difficult it is to find suitable font
configurations in X. I use -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed-*
fonts myself. It is somewhat similar to Helvetica, except it is
monospaced. My needs might be more critical in that area than
yours though. I do a *lot* of text formatting which requires a
fixed pitch font. Perhaps you needs are different, which is
just fine.)

>The really foolish thing is that you think it would be good if you could
>dictate the way others see your messages.

It's *my* message, of course I am concerned about how it is
presented!

Indeed, I've always been just amazed at how little attention
most people give to good communications skills when they post
to Usenet. But then, I'm a retired communications technician,
so it is hardly surprising that I am both very aware and very
critical in that area.

>One of the big advantages of

Not an "advantage", but rather just one way that a fool can make
a mess out of something that was carefully configured by someone
who actually did know what the difference is.

Of course, if the fool is the one who formatted it to begin
with...! Then you have a very good point. My position is that
poorly formatted messages probably aren't worth reading anyway,
so I don't want to remove the clue that it comes from someone
who can't tell the difference... ;-)

>emails, usenet posts and web pages is that the /reader/ can decide how
>the content is displayed to him - by choosing the fonts for his
>applications, by setting up user defined style sheets for his web
>browser, and by using the other means he has to make his applications
>display everything to /his/ needs, not to yours. If you think
>differently, maybe you should start sending your posts as PDF files.

Like I said though, I cannot prevent a reader from
misconfiguration or poor software selection. You are
entitled to do as you please. 

-- 
FloydL. Davidson           <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)                         floyd@barrow.com