Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!cunixb.cc.columbia.edu!mjf
From: mjf@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Michael J Flory)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Timo Salmi's obnoxious postings
Summary: In defense of TS (and moderators in general)
Message-ID: <1991Apr15.232239.23191@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Date: 15 Apr 91 23:22:39 GMT
References: <1991Apr15.074642.3009@uwasa.fi> <1991Apr15.205114.12145@cs.ubc.ca>
Sender: usenet@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (The Network News)
Reply-To: mjf@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Michael J Flory)
Organization: Columbia University
Lines: 26
Nntp-Posting-Host: cunixb.cc.columbia.edu


I hope we're not in for another round of moderator-bashing.  I try to be
understanding when a moderator gets a little touchy about all the postings
asking for readily available info -- I can't imagine the time it must take
to moderate, I hardly find the time to read the postings -- but of all 
folks, TS seems the *most* patient and, well, courtly in his responses.
And I take his references to the TS utilities, etc., as another plus, frankly.

The net *is* a baffling place at first -- and at second and at third :) ...
But thanks to the efforts of the (many) moderators who have written FAQ's and
who regularly post the startup kits, etc., I've found my way around pretty
well with a little patience.  What I marvel at is that this almost utterly
amorphous organization seems to be so self-organized, thanks to volunteer
efforts of moderators and posters.  I hope that the self-proclaimed novice
who felt slighted by Timo's messages (and I apologize for not citing by name
or quoting, I'm a bit of a novice too and have lost track of his message!)
will gradually find his way around, read the Frequently Asked Questions file,
download the Startup Kit which is posted several times a month, not feel 
afraid to ask if his first set of UU-Encoded files yield rubbish what he did
wrong, and perhaps keep track of his steps and missteps and in a few months 
help those who follow him by perhaps writing a True Beginners' Info Posting
or something along that line to help those just arriving over the first step
or two.  I sort of regret not keeping track of my first puzzlements for just
that purpose....

Michael Flory (mjf@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu)