Well, it seems that one thing this debate has caused is a massive increase in messages. For example, I seem to have received some 64 messages in well under 12 hours, every one from the mailing list. So, let me suggest something. We all should use private e-mail whenever possible. When replying to a message that may be of interest to everyone, post it to the whole world. However, if it's a question about the syntax of gdb, or a request for a previously posted message, send it privately. This seems to be common sense, but a bunch of people are ignoring it. One thing that kind of bothers me is the way people complain about how they've had to rewrite a message and resend it and do various other things which are all obviously personal attacks against them. Well, I don't know about *your* mailer, but mine supports saving of messages and then an autoforward (or even bounce) from the saved-messages folder. So if a newbie to the list wants something resent, just resend it and don't waste my time by making me read through the complaints to get to the stuff that's actually related to the list. Here's another suggestion, one I should follow more strictly myself. Check to see if a question has been answered correctly before replying to it. If it has, then leave it alone, we're not in a competition (at least, I don't think we are). If someone asks a newbie-type question, don't flame them publicly. Do it privately. I've said this time and again, but flames waste the time of everyone else who has to read through them. I'm on a disk quota here, and if I get 64 messages, some half of which are flames and counter-flames, I stop receiving mail which is actually useful. If someone doesn't seem to understand C, either explain it to them or *privately* point them to a good book on C programming. Or, if you still want to go with the separate-list idea, have one for C programming questions and one for CircleMUD. Actually, you can safely point them to a C programming newsgroup. Make it clear that this list is for CircleMUD-SPECIFIC questions. So if it's some code that could be applied in a different circumstance, it shouldn't be here. I also have a question: what's the purpose of this list? Apparently, not to answer C questions. I've noticed that CircleMUD "give-me-your-code" questions have also been flamed viciously. Plus, someone who asks a question because he (or she) is "too lazy" to look up the answer, those questions also receive flames. So, what *can* we ask about? Obviously, gaps in C knowledge are not permitted. Gaps in CircleMUD knowledge due to laziness are not permitted. Time-saving measures of code distribution are not permitted. Of course, any CircleMUD question can be answered by a sufficiently talented C programmer. Which means that any CircleMUD question is a C question, which means that anyone in off the street should be able to learn as much about CircleMUD as Jeremy Elson (I hope I got your name right, btw, Jeremy!) after looking it over. The end result is: No questions. This list seems to be a collection of flames and counterflames, plus numerous complaints about the stupidity of people you don't know and probably will never see again anyway. So, let's all try to lighten up a bit and be a little easier on everyone. I don't have a problem with newbie-type questions. I think someone's suggestion that we have NEWBIE: etc header prefices is a good one. So people like me can read the newbie questions, and everyone else can skip them immediately. (Actually, I rather enjoy showing off my knowledge sometimes.) The only people whom I agree should be shot dead are those who write saying "I NEED HELP PROGRAMMING CIRCLEMUD I DONT KNOW WHAT A C IS SHOULD I" (from Anyone384@aol.com ;p). But of course, I think I've only seen one of those on this list. Well, here's my contribution to the continuing flow of completely unrelated non-CircleMUD messages. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Barid Bel Medar icarus@berkshire.net Knights of the Cosmos Shayol Ghul Resort and Health Spa ------------------------------------------------------------------ "I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top." - English Professor, Ohio University ------------------------------------------------------------------
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