LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Dale Long <dalel@loftuscomp.com.au>
  To  : David Newall <davidn@rebel.net.au>
  Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 13:56:38 +0930 (CST)

Re: List & HTML Mail

On Fri, 29 Jun 2001, David Newall wrote:
> > Do I make myself VERY clear?
> 
> He's right, without any real argument, that abusing an absolute newbie
> for breach of etiquette is not useful, excepting perhaps when the newbie
> has been an obvious dweeb, or willfully lazy, or some other such flaying
> offense.  

What adds to the problem is that the 'list' etiquette has not been
communicated with the individual in the first place. And so they do not
know that they were breaking anything.

Given the technicalities of networking and communications protocols, the
same principles apply to human communications.

Newbies are by definition new things, as they have not participated
on kernel hacking and security lists for the past few years to know that
posting anything other than text is unwelcome. Nor may they know the evils
and lack of security involved with HTML/Script mail. Nor may they be aware
of the way bandwidth is wasted.

The solution is to communicate expectations and verify them.

If a person deliberately ignores the protocol they have been shown that is
acceptable for the list, and offend repeatedly and deliberately, they make
themselves a tartget that deserves scorn. But there are better ways than
responding that way. Compassion is its own reward.

> Of course there is an argument that goes: Unix is not a cuddly
> environment.

The world is what we make it.

Dale.

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