Skip this if you don't want to consider netiquette

From: John Dickinson (dickijk@bille.ppc.engga.uwo.ca)
Date: Thu Aug 14 1997 - 17:28:58 EEST


Dear All,

When I got looking at my massive mail box yesterday I already had a
feeling for what I was in for. I was right. The only reason I could
guess that a large file had been sent several times to the group is that I
have seen it more times than I can remember.

That in itself didn't bother me but rather my sense of impending doom (or
at least dreariness) as I anticipated the inevitable bunch of whines,
comments, suggestions for limits, etiquette debates, noted spelling and
gramatical errors in others' inflamatory posts and threads of unrelated,
but defintiely virulent, diatribe on how people were put out by these
posts.

All this may not take up more server time mailing out but it will take
more of my time to "skip" because everyones headers will be different, and
the message sizes will vary.

Despite all this I felt I needed to make my own comment (for the first
time, for the record, on netiquette issue). One word:

RESTRAINT

Please exercise some. Both in peoples reaction and desire to dump
something on the list. The admin has already made a public admonishment
of Mr. Wei and he has appologized. His desire to help is a mitigating
circumstance to the whole affair and it should now be dropped.

Just remember, it is the administrators job to chastise people for
foolhardy actions, not the rest of us. Many of us guilty of not sticking
to RP topics on the list, including myself now, but this is one topic
that receives too much attention here.

In like the occasional joke, interest item etc. that isn't strictly RP
related as that what makes this more like a friendly discussion and
exchange of information. Just like meeting people over coffee to discuss
ideas.

On Wed, 13 Aug 1997, Gill Barequet wrote:

> entire system. I wonder whether the automatic system may not let
> in messages that are, say, greater than 5KB. (Such messages,
> typically data files, may be put in an ftp or web site.)

I hope this doesn't happen just because of one mistake. It isn't like
public safety is in danger and drastic action is necessary to avoid any
possible recurrences in the future. Besides, I am a strong believer in
the exception. Just think before you do.

I apologize for sending this letter but so many have sent similar ones to
me (throught lists) that I feel somewhat justified. Besides, I feel sorry
for Mr. Wei and his well intentioned efforts.

Again I apologize for actually breaking my own rules and sending this
letter.

John

--
-((Insert standard disclaimer here))-|--- Washington Irving (1783-1859) ----
John Kenneth Dickinson               |   "A sharp tongue is the only
Grad. Student Mech. Eng. U.W.O.      |    edge tool that grows keener
now: dickijk@bille.ppc.engga.uwo.ca  |    with constant use."



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