Re: HELP !!! [ Please don't answer those, you will only get more ]

Marc MERLIN (_nospam_merlin@magic.metawire.com)
23 Feb 1997 17:56:33 GMT


On Sat, 22 Feb 1997 15:36:30 GMT, Roffey <roffey@shagbadger.demon.co.uk> wrote:

I really hate to post this, but I've had it.

>I don't know where to post this and guess that development is not the best

No it is not !
People are trying to get work done here and they don't all have the time to
keep answering questions like this one, or even merely read them. Those who
do, also read a few of the linux newsgroups and answer questions there.
Yeah I know, it's just you, and just one question. Well, no! There were
countless ones before you, and if we don't do anything about it, there will
be countless ones after you.

>place, but hey ! if you didn't make it I wouldn't break it.

That's the lamest excuse I've ever seen.
1) irrelevant
2) They didn't make the libraries, they made the kernel (well some might,
have done both, but this is a kernel list).

Linux newsgroups and mailing lists already exist for those kind of questions
and many people, including me, try to spend time answering them. Other
choose they have too little time and want to use it exclusively on enhancing
the kernel. This is their perfect right.

Linux users try to be helpful and share their knowledge and help out others
when possible, but that's not a reason to post here "just because more
people might know the answer" if your question is not at least vaguely
kernel related (as tempting as it could be).

Some people will argue that this list should only be for kernel developpers
and bug reports, others think that a few kernel related questions (how do I
increase this or that limit in the kernel?) can't hurt because it is
afterall the best place to ask. However, I think everyone will agree that it
is _not_ a general purpose magic question answering list.

Yeah, I could sure answer the question, but that would only help other
people to do like you because the net result would be that you were slapped
on the hand but got the answer anyway, why should you care about posting in
the right place since all you seem to want is the answer.
I really regard this mail the same way as spam (where companies send
advertisement to a bunch of people just because a few might be interested in
dealing that mail)

My point is that some might feel: "oh well, I can help the guy anyway, it
will only take a minute". I personally tend to think so also (and obviously
answering him would have been faster and easier to write this). But, in the
long run, is it a good thing?

This message is not meant to develop a long thread here and make things even
worse. Followup-To and Reply-To are redirected to my mailbox (be careful to
edit the reply address before sending) and I'll summarise here if needed.

Marc

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