On 6/13/22 10:31 AM, Tim Bray wrote:
On Mon, Jun 13, 2022 at 10:19 AM Keith Moore <moore@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I am not sure that I agree. I can certainly see how what you describe
could happen. But the Politeness Police have themselves discouraged
participation in IETF, at least in part because some of them were every
bit as arrogant and demeaning as your example statement above, and
worse, AND they had the backing of the organizational leaders.
What we have is at best anecdata, but I strongly disagree. I have personal experience with wonderful people who have walked away saying some variation on "all those pissy greybeards waiting to pounce". Don't personally know anyone who (a) has walked away because of the "politeness police" and (b) is regretted.
So they got chased away by "pissy greybeards" who criticized their ideas
("pounced") but they didn't have any qualms about categorizing other people
like that? Wow! No wonder things didn't work out for them.
Be kind. It doesn’t hurt.
Calling someone a "pissy greybeard" isn't really kind. And expecting to
receive something you won't give out is the definition of entitled.
Dan.
-- "The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius
