asking smart/polite questions (was Re: [Samba] !!ATTENTION NEWBIES!!)

[Martin Pool]

On 13 Feb 2003, Neal Lawson <nolawso at ilstu.edu> wrote:
> Well, i dont , feel that the newbies comment was in the spirit of  the 
> open source, This  list is here to help people, and if  sombody is 
> asking a question, its part of the opensource comunity's responsibilty 
> to try to help

I don't know where you get this "responsibility" idea.  I don't
remember seeing your name on my paycheque.

If you perceive a responsibility, you should answer questions or write
documentation yourself.

I'm a nice guy.  I like helping people.  But it really shits me that
some people think that I'm *obliged* to help random people on the
Internet, and that they're allowed to make rude and illiterate demands
of free software developers.  Not being fluent in English or being new
to Linux is absolutely fine.  Acting like an ass is not.

I'm saying this in a constructive spirit: it is a demonstrable fact
that well-formed, polite, thoughtful questions get answers and other
ones get deleted.

-- 
Martin