Re: you ass

Sean M wrote:

> RSH wrote:
> >
> > I am not so sure that I do not resent your message more than the one that
> > started this whole thing. The "ramifications on your employment future"
> > quite gagged me, and I think represents an attitude I do not care for very
> > much.
> >
> > Doubtless your interpersonal skills shine when you are functioning in your
> > workplace, and this message of yours does not present a representative
> > sample of your tact and empathy that you no doubt know are essential parts
> > of a successful senior DBA's skill set.
>
> Wow. I took Katherine's email 180 degrees the other way - I thought it
> was one of the most sane pieces of advice and dead-on commentary I've
> read on this forum in a long time. It wasn't directed at any one
> individual (though it would appear that some guilty consciences are
> reading it that way) and made no threats, implied or otherwise. The
> perceived anonimity of Usenet makes it easy to forget that there's a
> real person on the other end of that post. I've fallen into that trap
> more than once, and smugness often wins out. But Katherine is right:
> answer questions with respect, or don't answer them at all.
>
> If you're annoyed at yet another question asking for the password to
> SYS, just IGNORE IT. The poster will eventually go away and/or figure
> it out for themselves. Annoyed that someone didn't include their
> version and OS? IGNORE THEM. If they're smart they'll respond with
> more detail.
>
> Regards,
> Sean

I'm not sure that you do anyone a favor by ignoring them anymore than children learn good table manners by never correcting them.

Could we be kinder and gentler? Undoubtedly.

Will people who are ignored ever learn why they were ignored? No! Will they ever get the answer to their question and solve the problem? No! Will they ever think Oracle forums are useless because we are all to arrogant to answer them? Yes!

I disagree with your advice about ignoring them. I think it an obligation to point out to them that (A) it is in the documents they should have read, or (B) that it is available at technet, or (C) that without including pertinent information they will not be able to solve the problem.

Could the above things be communicated in another way? Again likely.

But lets not forget that we are all volunteers here doing this, in whatever manner we wish, because we want to. Any time you, or Larry want to write me a check at my normal billing rate I'll be glad to behave like a trained monkey at 1-800-SUP-PORT. Until then perhaps people who use the internet will learn a bit of common courtesy. You don't walk into a church and start selling tuperware. You don't post tests in a forum like this ... you do it at alt.test. And if your skin is so thin and you are so easily upset by someone saying RTFM to you that you have to run for your Prozac ... likely you have other problems as well.

Once again, for the record, I will repeat ... you are correct that we could be kinder and gentler. And I, for one, will try. I'll put happyface emoticons like ;-) after all of my sarcastic remarks. And write RTM rather than RTFM so as not to offend gentler souls.

Interestingly enough the emails I receive are running about 8:1 thanking me for saying what I say in the way I say it. So those having the issues are the minority. I've no doubt Sybrand and others get similar feedback letting them know what others think though I haven't asked.

Daniel Morgan Received on Thu Apr 25 2002 - 18:23:53 CDT