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

[Neal Lawson]

Martin Pool wrote:

>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.
>
>  
>
I feel as computer professionals we are "OBLIGED" to help, it is the 
responsible thing to do, especially with opensoure, for any sucess of 
opensourse software we cant't affored to a** holes ... just my two cents 
worth