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From: jimb@silvlis.com (Jim Budler)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: Basic questions posted to the net.
Message-ID: <1990Nov14.181452.10880@silvlis.com>
Date: 14 Nov 90 18:14:52 GMT
References: <2715@ux.acs.umn.edu>
Sender: usenet@silvlis.com (USENET news maint)
Reply-To: jimb@silvlis.com (Jim Budler)
Organization: Silvar-Lisco,Inc. Sunnyvale Ca.
Lines: 39

In article <2715@ux.acs.umn.edu> clarson@ux.acs.umn.edu (Chaz Larson) writes:
>Often in comp.sys.mac.*, I have seen questions asked that are of an extremely
>basic nature; things that can be found in the manuals of the products without
>a great deal of trouble.

Having spent the last six years answering questions from users which
all "can be found in the manuals of the products without a great deal
of trouble." I realize that most users' idea of "a great deal of trouble"
is defined by the effort of opening the book.
>
>How do all of you interpret these types of questions?  I generally assume that
>anyone who would have to post to the net asking how to accomplish something of
>this nature must not be a legitimate owner of the product, since they seem not
>to have a manual to refer to.

Naw, I assume they are a typical user. Frightened to death by the
complexity of a Table of Contents. Comic books and tv shows don't usually
come with them 8^).

>
>Because of this, I am inclined to never answer questions like this, or to
>answer them only with the number of the illuminating manual page. Has this
>been brought up before?  I'm curious as to net.opinion on this matter, and
>I thought it might benerate some lively discussion.
>
>chaz

I'm inclined  to give people the benefit of doubt, or in constitutional
terms "innocent until proven guilty".

Besides, I firmly believe there are actually more good people in the
world than bad people by a significant amount.

jim
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