At 01:45 PM 4/5/97 -0500, you wrote:
>I'm sorry to offend you with my ignorance.  I am trying.  I realize

I'm not offended by ignorance.  I'm offended by laziness, of one's failure
to help one's self, PARTICULARLY one who has the requisite tools at hand.
This is not unique to the internet, to list owners, or anyone else.  It is
an all to unfortunate condition in the American society (and elsewhere?  I
don't know) in which those who HAVE the ability to solve their own problems
of all sorts refuse to do so, and instead expect others to solve them
instead.  Pick almost any area of society and this nonsense is rampant.  I
have NO problem with helping those who lack resources, intelligence,
physical abilities, experience, or other things that are beyond their
control.  In fact, I regularly help such people in a wide variety of ways
and places, including my daily job in a service organization.  As a
librarian I also have little patience with students who want me to do
research for them instead of requesting assistance on how to find
information, etc.

>that the Internet makes people forget that they are writing to human
>beings and not machines, so I forgive your harsh words.  I apologize for

I'm not forgetting who I am writing to.  As one who has been quite probably
using and teaching and training about computers for more years than you
probably are old, I'm well aware of the platitudes you're preaching.  Many
may forget these things, but I'm not one of them.  I rarely flame, but when
I do it is when well deserved.

>asking any questions which may not be of the caliber of the high
>expertise on this list.  As someone who used to have a bad temper,

The list members regularly answer newbie questions with no problem, and
with a kind demeanor.  I'm one who often does so.  I learned about LISTSERV
in BITNET days, long before there WAS a manual (other than the 1.5 docs
which were better than nothing, and appreciated) or an Internet or a Web.

>please let me offer an insight to you.  I've found that people
>judge me by what I say.  While I rarely ever meet anyone I converse
>with on the Internet, I do tend to carry my communication habits
>with me out into the real world sometimes.

I have no problem with being judged by anything and everything I say.  If
one chooses to be offended by one posting without knowing a total context,
or is offended because there is more than a little truth in the criticism,
that is his/her problem, not mine.  As a human, I have better and worse
days or times, but the flame you felt was NOT sent due to bad mood, bad
day, bad temper, or anything else.  It was a mild flame turned on because
the recipient was too lazy to open the manual at hand or to use a couple
minutes of net time to read the web version instead of sending an idiotic
and lazy message.   A little experimentation with commands could have
accomplished the same in the same time, for that matter.

>Have A Wonderful Weekend Friend

I'm having a great one.....thanks.  And same to you, now that one of the
other fine listmembers has given you the answer that is in TFM.

cheers

cyclops   (who will only carry this discussion further off list, regardless
of other postings)

Dan Lester
[log in to unmask]
In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  Erasmus, 1534