[CentOS] Mailing List Etiquette

[Johnny Hughes]

On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 17:28 -0500, Bryan J. Smith wrote:
> On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 16:49 -0500, Johnny Hughes wrote:
> > So answering a question with "RTFM" or "JFGI" is not going to impart any
> > of your experience ... which is one of the things they need and want.
> 
> Ummm ... as someone who takes the time to explain things on a regular
> basis, I _rarely_ do that.  In fact, I took way too much time in a prior
> thread!  I'm probably the most detailed and verbose person here, even if
> I don't always explain things in ways that everyone can understand.  But
> I do try and give answers (and not to "sport my knowledge").

Bryan ... that was not a comment meant only for you (actually, you do
not normally do that at all).  It was directed at everyone ... as was
all my comments.

EVERYONE ... Before I starting doing CentOS-4, I was a moderator on
http://LinuxHelp.net/ and I have http://www.hughesjr.com/ because I want
to help people use linux.  I really don't like RTFM or JFGI ... if you
look at any of my posts here, on IRC, on the 2 links above, or in the
CentOS forums, you will see that I TRY to practice what I preach.  If I
am going to say read something, I normally point to it (in a link) and
explain something about it too.

I am NOT placing blame anywhere ... we all make mistakes, we all
sometimes comment and wish we can take it back.

> Now I'm sorry I even said RTFM on the Mencoder thread.  How to control
> bitrate is rather subjective in Mencoder, and only the man page is
> complete.  That was my point.  Yes, Preston did "piss me off" in an
> earlier thread, and from what I saw, he had not even bothered to hit the
> man page (and it was more like a rant).  My response wasn't ideal.
> 
> But I still find it a bit sad that you used the terms "RTFM" and "JFGI"
> because, given the recent words (although I never used or even suggested
> JFGI), I want to take it personally.  

I am talking to everyone ... not just one or two people.  CentOS is
good, I want this mailing list to be good as well.  We need people to
comment nicely and help people.  Everyone was a newbie once.

> Sorry, but it really looks
> unicast.  I'm working on the hack for the YUM repository for my own,
> internal needs, and will still pass it along.
> 
> But you are the project lead, and I can't complain.
> 

I don't expect everyone to do what I say and not complain ... heck, I
can't even get my wife or daughter to do that :)

> Please block my e-mail address from the list as I requested prior.  That
> way I can't even comment anymore.  This will be my last post to the list
> for awhile.  Apparently some of the same core of "select people" have
> gone from being tactful to outright blame and lack of ownership on their
> part.

OK ... that is done.
----------------------

I just want people to think about one thing ...

What is the purpose of posting a RTFM or JFGI?

If you (and everyone else) doesn't post anything to that person ... and
if they really need to get the item done, they will do one of those
things to complete the item, won't they?

Now ... if we post a link, and say we found it by googling on terms xxxx
and yyyy ... then they get help and learn what we googled on to find it.
That is nice, it helps, AND it teaches.

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