| From: tytso@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Theodore Ts'o)

|> From: davidsen@ariel.crd.GE.COM (william E Davidsen)
|> At the risk of sounding as if I'm complaining (rest deleted...)

| Don't take the newest version then!  (flame flame flame...)

My my. Aren't we getting rather jumpy lately? I'm not trying to single
these two out, but there has been a lot of "complaining" and flaming
responses in return. comp.os.linux is turning into a regular shooting
gallery.

Do we all drink too much coffee? May I please suggest to those who are
awful quick to post flames and counter-rebuttals that we are over-
reacting.

theory #1> Most of the folks who allegedly "bitch" are new to either
unix, usenet, Linux, or social skills. These naive, innocent people
do not deserve the pouncing on they sometimes receive.

theory #2> Some alleged "bitching" are from people who are making
casual observations or bringing out to light some ideas that might
make things easier or more understandable. These people do not deserve
soap box speeches on how they should do it themselves or take a hike.

theory #3> Those posts which are true-blue complaints that have no
excuse, should either be ignored, or flamed in private (e-mail).
The poor sap could easily ignore the flaming responses in the
newsgroup, but if you fill up his mailbox or however he gets his email,
it's not so easy; therefore, it is more effective. Don't clutter the
bandwidth with it.

It is a shame that the psychology behind the net allows otherwise
mild-mannered people to turn into raging fiends and bash and burn those
who "irritate" them, all because they are hidden behind the fascade of
the network.

So, please, gentlepeople, I beg of you: think twice about flaming that
poor soul who made you believe that you are so superior. We are all
human. Just ignore him. He'll go away. Or send (email, not post) him/her
a polite message in an honest effort to straighten him out. If you need
to blow off some steam, then write an inflamatory note using four-letter
words that would make a sailor blush, and then mail it to dev/null.

Oh, and don't flame me because I fall into both theories 1 and 2.

john