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From: sartin@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM (Rob Sartin)
Newsgroups: news.groups
Subject: Re: Elementary Treatise On Dealing With Flamers
Message-ID: <4763@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 2 Feb 90 18:26:51 GMT
References: <5082@sugar.hackercorp.com>
Reply-To: sartin@hplabs.hp.com (Rob Sartin)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Software Technology Lab
Lines: 15

[A slight rewording and extension of a post I once made:]

You don't get rid of flamers by insulting them or flaming back.
Ignoring the flamer is extremely important.  A flame is a multi-way
exchange, one that is very difficult to continue without at least one
other person cooperating (kind of strange to consider a return flame as
cooperation isn't it?)  in the continuation of the exchange.  

If you don't respond to flames, there's a better chance they'll die a
quiet, natural death.  Responding to a flame with a flame is like
putting out fires with gasoline.

Rob Sartin					uucp: hplabs!sartin
"Some may say that I have gone astray.	    internet: sartin@hplabs.hp.com
How would they know? They never follow."