mjr@gildor.dco.dec.com (Marcus J. Ranum) (10/23/90)
Can we all calm down slightly about this ? It's only usenet. Pause to think that the reorganization was to keep "newbies" from making "non-wizard" postings in comp.unix.wizards - instead we are plagued with endless rounds of comp.unix.recriminations. The signal to noise ratio is probably even lower than it was before the reorganization, not because of "how do you remove a file starting with '-'" questions but because of net politics and policies being placed at a higher priority than useful technical communication. Don't worry about scaring off the wizards with stupid questions. Stupid debates are just as effective. mjr. -- Nothing is beautiful unless it is large. Vastness and immensity can make you forget a great many weaknesses. - Emperor Napoleon I, predicting the development of X-window in 1813
moore@srl.mew.mei.co.jp (W. Phillip Moore) (10/24/90)
I may regret opening my mouth about this, but...
In article <1990Oct23.013425.21701@decuac.dec.com> mjr@gildor.dco.dec.com (Marcus J. Ranum) writes:
Can we all calm down slightly about this ? It's only usenet.
Pause to think that the reorganization was to keep "newbies" from making
"non-wizard" postings in comp.unix.wizards - instead we are plagued
with endless rounds of comp.unix.recriminations. The signal to noise
ratio is probably even lower than it was before the reorganization,
not because of "how do you remove a file starting with '-'" questions
but because of net politics and policies being placed at a higher
priority than useful technical communication.
Here, here!! I am amazed at how much bandwidth is being wasted arguing
over the creation/destruction of a newsgroup(s) for the purpose of cutting
down on bandwidth. This nonsense has turned into a personal argument
between a few people who seem to have enough time every day to post pages
and pages of continuing nonsense to keep the fight going.
Don't worry about scaring off the wizards with stupid questions.
Stupid debates are just as effective.
And stupid debates we have seen. The arguement should be moved to email,
not posted worldwide. The nonsense is no longer amuzing. I think the
participants on both sides are not acting their age -- assuming they can at
least vote.
(set flame nil)
W. Phillip Moore Phone: 06-908-1431
LSI Research Group FAX: 06-906-7251
Semiconductor Research Laboratory E-mail: moore@mew.mei.co.jp
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. 1048 Kadoma, Osaka 571, Japangeyer@udny.uchicago.edu (Charles Geyer) (10/28/90)
In article <1990Oct23.013425.21701@decuac.dec.com> mjr@gildor.dco.dec.com (Marcus J. Ranum) writes: > Can we all calm down slightly about this ? It's only usenet. > Pause to think that the reorganization was to keep "newbies" from making > "non-wizard" postings in comp.unix.wizards - instead we are plagued > with endless rounds of comp.unix.recriminations. The signal to noise > ratio is probably even lower than it was before the reorganization, > not because of "how do you remove a file starting with '-'" questions > but because of net politics and policies being placed at a higher > priority than useful technical communication. > > Don't worry about scaring off the wizards with stupid questions. > Stupid debates are just as effective. Hear, hear!! I used to like to read comp.unix.wizards and mourn its (hopefully temporary) demise. As I recall it, the problem with comp.u.w was not the occasional "newbie" question, but the dozen *incorrect* replies from "wizard.wannabes", followed by two dozen semi-correct-answers-cum-flames from "wizard.almosts" followed much later by a polite and correct answer from an actual wizard. Now really, who was at fault? The "newbie"? Or the "wannabes"? Or the "almosts"? Of course, not one news poster in a thousand has any self restraint. Why should wizards posters not suffer from the malaise? Charlie Geyer Department of Statistics University of Chicago geyer@galton.uchicago.edu