LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Pegasus <trekgen@ihug.com.au>
  To  : Andrew Pullin <andrew@hotspurbgc.com.au>
        <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
  Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 20:33:01 +0930

Re: HTML Mail

Since I am the guilty party, ok I confess my first post to the group was in
dare I say it HTML. To be honest I was taken aback a little by David
Llloyd's ferocity of his first paragraph - ouch I guess I must have
unknowingly stepped on a few wrong toes. I had to read it a few times to
make sure that I understood the context of what David wrote. But the rest of
David's email was helpful - thanks.

Subsequent emails were sent in plain text format via the tools/options/send
in the OE menu bar. The only question I have left is do we use the indent
symbols of > when resending or not?

And thanks to Andrew Pullin, good on you mate for stickin up for the
newbies. I nearly ran away, but I don't scare easy. lol

OK here's my two cents on how this Linux group comes across both to newbies
and the quality and professional attitude that you display between
yourselves. If you have ever been in a Visual Basic newsgroup, who come
across as an arrogant bunch and to the other extreme the Delphi programming
newsgroup who absolutely go way out of their way top help anybody and treat
newbies with courtesy etc, then Linux falls somewhere in between.

C'mon guys, you're suppose to have something unique. An OS to show the world
and halt MS domination.

Regards to all,
Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Pullin <andrew@hotspurbgc.com.au>
To: <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 10:34 AM
Subject: HTML Mail


> Hi All,
>     I notice in my last batch of mail from this list that
> another newbie has posted in HTML, and once again someone
> has flamed him for it. I am getting a little tired of this
> happening as it doesn't really go with the spirit of this
> list. If I was a newbie and posted an innocent request on a
> help list, and being a newbie and not knowing any better
> posted in HTML, and then instead of getting help, received a
> rather venomous flame that didn't even address the problem,
> I would think basically "what a pack of arrogant arseholes,
> maybe I won't bother with this Linux thing". We are trying
> to encourage new users to join Linux, not scare them away.
> Here is a possible solution to this ongoing problem that I
> hope the list will accept in the spirit it was intended.
>
>     For newbies:
>
>         A newbie, being new, CANNOT know the rules of this
> list, unless they are told. Some newbies post a day or two
> after their first meeting or an installfest, and some just
> follow links to the LinuxSA page and join, usually they just
> don't know because nobody told them. Also bear in mind that
> most of them are still configuring a dual boot configuration
> and the windoze part works, but the Linux bit doesn't. This
> probably means using outlook express as a mailer which
> defaults to HTML mail. If you want to change uncle Bill's
> mind into turning off this unpleasant feature go right
> ahead, but you won't get anywhere. So this means that
> something must be done from the list side of things to fix
> our problem. Here goes:
>     It has been a long time since I subscribed, but if it
> isn't already done, when the message saying you are
> subscribed to the list is sent to you it should contain a
> brief run down of the rules (it may do this already, but as
> I said, it has been a while).
>     Also, why can't the list filter out HTML messages before
> they are distributed and post it back to the poster saying
> this is HTML mail and will not be posted unless it is plain
> text. If this is done in a polite way, most newbies will
> swear a bit and fix the problem and all will then be fine.
> We are smart people here so this shouldn't be too hard to
> fix, and if it isn't straight forward then - "use the
> source" and "scratch that itch".
>
>     For experienced users:
>
>         You have no excuses what so ever. You know what you
> are doing already, so if it bothers you so much to receive
> HTML mail - FILTER IT OUT. In the time it has taken me to
> write this post, I would guess that it would be a similar
> time that some people take to write flames to newbies. This
> is also the amount of time it would have taken you to apply
> the filter to your favourite Linux mailer. There are some
> very experienced people on this list who also don't like
> HTML mail and they have already applied the filter, or just
> plain don't answer it.
>
>     In the interests of HELPING people, which this list is
> all about, why not do what I do when I answer an HTML post
> and politely point out the fact, and then answer the
> question. It isn't very hard guys (and girls).
>
>     One last thing, many people "lurk" around this list
> without actually posting and fix their problems from what
> others post. If you don't know how to filter from your
> preferred mailer (then RTFM dummy), why not post a message
> asking some more experienced person how to do it? That way
> the lurkers may fix your problems because the penny drops
> "why does he want to filter HTML mail?". Also other lists
> regularly post the Rules of the list monthly so lurkers can
> read them before they post. These are all simple suggestions
> so maybe we can act like a community we are and look after
> the new members and not scare them away.
>     Cheers!
>         Andrew.
>
> --
> LinuxSA WWW: http://www.linuxsa.org.au/  IRC: #linuxsa on irc.linux.org.au
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>
>

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