hofbauer@utcsri.UUCP (John Hofbauer) (12/20/85)
Postings to this group which begin with "Who appeared in..." drive me up a wall! Not so much the query itself, but the multiple replies posted to the net, particularly when they give the WRONG answer. So, lets all try to agree on some protocols. Replies to such queries should NOT be posted to the net but e-mailed to the person who posted the query who then will post the results. To constantly remind people of this, each query should end with a strong reminder to this effect. Next, if you aren't quite sure of the answer, DON'T GUESS! It just results in ping-pong games--yes he was, no he wasn't, I'm sure he was, ad infinitum. Leave it to the experts. Next, reply if you are quite certain but cite a reference, if possible. Don't embarass yourself by popping off without thinking about your answer. The time and effort it takes to check a reference will naturally eliminate this. If you still feel compelled to post directly to the net at least wait until you have read all the day's articles. Even I am guilty of posting a followup article only to find an identical reply a few articles later.