Re: [cobalt-users] VERY SERIOUS!

[Kris Dahl <krislists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 9/1/00 4:01 PM, Bill Luck at isthisbollocks@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> If you want to help, HELP, but if someone makes a hash in their method of
> posting, dangerous use of spelling, lapse of moral duty in not scouring the
> archives, total lack of human compassion in the  ridiculously extravagant
> use of bandwidth, complete disregard for the human optic nerve by listing
> the responded message in the wrong order  and/or other earth stopping
> misdemeanours, so what? What happened to live and let live?

The problem is that this is a FREE support resource essentially staffed by
'volunteers'.

In order to quickly and easily solve problems for people there has to be
guidelines for communication or eventually it will ceases to be
communication and be chaos instead.  You think the 'ettequite police' are
saying that stuff for their health?  Or because it is 'rude'?  Being polite
is part of it, but the root of the issue is effective communication.  Bottom
line.

Posting on the wrong thread, with the wrong subject, misquoting, over
quoting, under quoting context, etc. SEVERELY WATTERS DOWN THE EFFECITVENESS
OF COMMUNICATION.  I haven't typed that many cap letters in a long time, but
I need to make a point.

Again, it is NOT an etiquette issues (although it is what we call it) it is
a communication protocol issue.

Imagine there was this standard (lets call it HTTP).  HTTP is a protocol
that describes the transfer of Hypertext documents and is described by
several RFCs and standards organizations.  To retrieve a document,
essentially you connect to 'port 80' on a 'server' and issue the following
command "GET /filename.blah".  Lets say a bunch of people start building
so-called HTTP servers that ignored this predetermined set of standards (AS
EXPLICITY DESCRIBED IN SEVERAL RFCs) and change string necessary to retrieve
a document to "RETREIVE /filename.blah".  Sure there is no reason why it
wouldn't work, but all the existing servers and clients would need to
support and update to this new model, dispute the relatively small number of
people who are not adhering to the standards.

This is exactly the same situation as we have here on our own 'protocol': it
is recognized by many, and there are numerous RFCs on newgroup and mailing
list communication.  It is not an 'option', 'preference', 'etiquette', or
whatever you want to call it.  It is a standard.  If you want to change the
standard, be me guest... when you come back with a RFC that is approved then
we'll talk again.

-k