On comp.lang.c [was Re: declaring defines.]

[Murray Nesbitt]

In article <1991Jun17.132947.5296 at druid.uucp> D'Arcy J.M. Cain writes:

>Just recently Doug Gwyn announced that he is leaving comp.lang.c because
>of the SNR in this group.  Hopefully he is just waiting in the wings,
>along with all the other gurus who have been silent lately, watching to
>see if we can get this group under control.  Well here is my contribution.

Don't count on it.  This newsgroup is completely and probably
irreparably out of control.  What was once a Good Thing is now a Big
Joke.

>Before asking a question in this group make sure you have done the
>following:

>    Run your problem code through lint(1) or use all the warnings
>    your compiler will give you.  With GNU C you can use -Wall to
>    catch a lot of problems that are not necessarily syntax errors.

>    Read the fucking manual.

>    Read the Frequently Asked Question posting.

>    Ask someone locally if possible.

This is excellent advice, but will hardly cut down on the type of
noise that has recently forced the likes of Gwyn away from what was
just weeks ago one of the most successfully self-moderated newsgroups.
The recent absence of postings from Spencer, Heuer, Bernstein et al.,
is also noteworthy.

Add to your list the suggestion that if the subject line contains any
of the following phrases, there are likely more appropriate newsgroups
for the posting:

     "Intel 386", "Windows", "VGA", "DOS", "PC", "keystroke",
     "PWB", "Extended keys", "SEATTLE YELLOW PAGES WANTED",
     "data compression", "for sale", "mac", "BGI", "Turbo C vs..."

Posting to an appropriate newsgroup increases the probability of
getting a quality response, and helps to ensure that when one
encounters a problem with *the C programming language*, knowledgeable
people will still be reading and contributing to comp.lang.c.

Not to slam anyone in particular, but there has been so much crap
posted in recent weeks from people with "fidonet" as part of their
email address, that it makes one wonder how this fidonet organization
can keep afloat in its own ineptitude.

1/2 :-) for the humour-impaired.

>Oh, and don't forget the magic words your parents taught you.

My grandfather used to say: "All the world isn't an IBM PC" and "Just
because you're coding it in C, doesn't make it a C problem."

>BTW, the above suggestions are doubly important for those who want to
>answer a question.

Oh God, are they ever.  Are the remaining gurus paying attention?

>-- 
>D'Arcy J.M. Cain (darcy at druid)     |
>D'Arcy Cain Consulting             |   There's no government
>Toronto, Ontario, Canada           |   like no government!
>+1 416 424 2871                    |

Murray

-- 

/*     Murray Nesbitt      *         And what is good, Phaedrus          *
 * nesbitt at herald.usask.ca *           And what is not good -            *
 *  nesbitt at sask.usask.ca  * Need we ask anyone to tell us these things? */