Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!clyde.concordia.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!yale!mintaka!bloom-beacon!bu.edu!purdue!sage.cc.purdue.edu!rusbara2
From: rusbara2@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Bob Rusbasan)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Is it just me...?
Message-ID: <4674@sage.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: 20 Oct 90 18:16:43 GMT
References: <28019@bellcore.bellcore.com> <4617@trantor.harris-atd.com> <4618@trantor.harris-atd.com>
Reply-To: rusbara2@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Bob Rusbasan)
Organization: Purdue University
Lines: 33

In article <4618@trantor.harris-atd.com> sonny@trantor.harris-atd.com (Bob Davis) writes:
>  Doesn't it seem that WAY over HALF the posted questions in this group
>are of the generic forms: (1) "Does anyone know where I can find 
>program ________?", or (2) "Are there programs which do __________?",
>almost ALL of which are resolvable by scanning catalog information files from 
>SIMTEL and/or one or more of the other archives that the Frequently Asked 
>Questions (FAQ) postings tell you about?

Actually, you're just seeing half of it.  The FAQ postings actually list
this as one of the FAQs, so it should never be asked (the idea behind 
FAQs is that you read them before posting because your question may
have already been asked AND answered).  The answer of where to look is
then given.

Does this group have a FAQ posting?  If not, it should; even one just
telling you to check out comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc's would be adequate.

I have no problem with people taking 15 minutes to find out when they
can (and waiting for the replies if they use an email method) and THEN
posting if they still haven't found what they needed.

No FTP capabilities?  Well, sorry, but most of these posts are ASKING
for an FTP site, so that can't be the problem.  Also, the FAQs tell
you how to use mail servers...

Discussing the programs seems fine to me, ie asking what people think of
them.  But I think posts like "I'm looking for ***A*** program to do
x..." are out of line.  The information to find **A** program to do
something is readily available.

---
Bob Rusbasan
bob@en.ecn.purdue.edu