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[Alan P Barrett]

In article <1991May30.093453.170 at gnv.ifas.ufl.edu>,
sjs at gnv.ifas.ufl.edu writes:
> Hey!  Not everyone knows what subjects have been done to death.

Everybody should read the newsgroup for several weeks or months before
asking anything.  Then they would know.

> Also, some systems delete messages after they are a week or so old.
> Plus, many people don't know what a FAQ is (or even what the
> abbreviation means) until one is posted.

The FAQL is posted about once a month, so all newcomers should see it
before they post anything.

> Maybe the FAQ should be mentioned at the end of more messages, so new
> readers know what's going on.  (I'd like to add how distasteful I find
> it when a new subscriber asks what certain abbreviations or cryptic
> references mean, only to be flamed by the clique.)

I agree.

> Leave the simple queries be -- it gives the poster a chance to learn
> the system, and it gives others who might not be experts a chance to
> learn how to reply.  If someone is just being a pest, he will soon
> stop when he finds he is being ignored, or else he will discover what
> "flaming" means.

The stupid queries are not so bad.  It's the stupid and incorrect
answers that I hate.

> [quoting Doug Gwyn]
> > I don't think I can justify spending any more time helping out, so I'm
> > unsubscribing from comp.lang.c.  If anyone has an INFORMED question
> > about C that they want my help with, they can contact me directly.
>
> Like, when you drop out, people will know that you exist, considering
> these messages will be culled sooner or later.

There are not many people in this newsgroup who know what they are
talking about.  Doug Gwyn is (was?)  one of them, and his leaving will
undoubtedly cause the signal to noise ratio to deteriorate further.

--apb
Alan Barrett, Dept. of Electronic Eng., Univ. of Natal, Durban, South Africa
RFC822: barrett at ee.und.ac.za             Bang: m2xenix!quagga!undeed!barrett