Re: [SLUG] Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement

From: steve szmidt (steve@szmidt.org)
Date: Thu Nov 30 2006 - 03:47:36 EST


On Thursday 30 November 2006 01:19, Paul M Foster wrote:

> Although we don't particularly condone MS bashing, I can't exactly blame
> people. It's common to every Linux list in existence, probably, and
> people complain about Microsoft for very good reasons. By the same
> token, people who get on this list and start asking a lot of
> Windows-related question get flamed. Again, we don't condone this, but
> it's very common behavior and understandable on lists like this. (Even
> on a list like ours, which is generally more polite than most, except
> for a couple or three troublemakers. ;-)
>
> Paul

I totally agree. People who ask honest questions should not be flamed. Then
for those few who are trolling, the best is actually to ignore them (which
it's pretty hard to do). Again I don't think we have any.

I'd also expect that a list like this has almost exclusively people who are
interested in learning about Linux. The stance on ms/win is really of little
consequence. We know a high percentage of people are unhappy (with ms/win)
and so if they come here looking for an alternative they should have a fair
chance to discover what Linux is about.

It's pretty easy to ask stupid questions when you don't understand something,
as technical as Linux, so they should be given extra room and understanding.

As I've said before I think it would be a good idea to give people signing up
a small warning that _some_ people feel _very_ strongly about the subject and
may not be very reserved in their postings. But that does not by any means
that the list in general wants to drive away those who don't express the
same. Indeed the majority are accepting everyone who sign up.

Typically an honest question will be answered as helpfully as we can. So if
you run into a wall, re-phrase and post again. When that fails ask the list
manager what's going on.

-- 

Steve Szmidt

"To enjoy the right of political self-government, men must be capable of personal self-government - the virtue of self-control. A people without decency cannot be secure in its liberty. From the Declaration Principles ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is provided as an unmoderated internet service by Networked Knowledge Systems (NKS). Views and opinions expressed in messages posted are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NKS or any of its employees.



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