All of that being said, this list is the most helpful place -- in general -- I've ever seen for Linux help, in any form, bar none. So thank you all for that. My point is just that, when it's good, it's "ok," but when it's bad, it's teeth-achingly nightmarish. (And it's hardly ever stellar, to boot.)
This (and other) lists as well as sundry other Linux support fora are nowhere near perfect. I can also truthfully say I have _never_ seen elsewhere anything remotely like the community effort (which, please note, is free and voluntary and unpaid) which is "normal" in the Linux world. Certainly my experience with Microsoft (from 1984 through the present) has never shown me any decent support forum at all, other than when MS charges lots of dough for... and even that one pretty much sucks.
So yes; there are some assholes and some pedantic idiots on these lists. There are also some people who insist on cluelessness as a religion, and those who demand help and tutoring and support though no one has any obligation to provide it. All these and other nasty animals with teeth inhabit our world.
But still, overall I am happy with the mix, and I personally will try to continue contributing positively to it rather than joining the "itsucks" chorus. (I will also let off steam by ripping someone a new tailpipe every so often when I feel they richly deserve it... that is my First Amendment right too.)
And still I say, nowhere in the MS world is there a better option than this. So not perfect, but certainly the best I have ever seen. Let's make it better, and quit whining.
P.S. Ten minutes in the archives looking for either courteous questions or helpful answers from several loudmouthed individuals of recent quote has yielded me nothing. No courteous questions, no helpful answers. Hence, no value to the community. Sigh. Well, maybe they'll improve with time.
Cheers!
-- Rodolfo J. Paiz rpaiz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
