OT Why is everyone so grouchy?

Paul Bryce pbryce at ozemail.com.au
Sun Oct 24 08:41:09 UTC 2004


What can I say... Well said! I hope that people read this and take it to 
heart. Now, back to work for me...

Thomas Cameron wrote:

>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
>
>  
>


-- 

/"...chance favours the prepared mind" Louis Pasteur/

/"One crowded hour of glorious life /
/is worth more than an a lifetime without a name" Thomas Mordaunt/




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