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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!menlo70!nsc!chuqui
From: chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Did you answer the mail you received this morning?
Message-ID: <638@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-Feb-84 12:27:28 EST
Article-I.D.: nsc.638
Posted: Tue Feb 14 12:27:28 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Feb-84 03:48:29 EST
References: <117@ccieng2.UUCP>
Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale
Lines: 57

I disagree with a couple of the reasons for not responding to mail, so I
thought I would point out WHY they aren't as reasonable as they seem.

    1) It is a letter answering a question I posted, and doesn't call for
       a response;

If someone is willing to take the time to reply to your question, you
should be willing to drop him a quick note and say thanks (even if you
don't say anything else). Why? For one thing, common courtesy. For another,
the network is an extremely flakey beastie, and this way he knows that you
got the material, hopefully understand it, and appreciate it. I usually end
up asking further questions (or commenting in some way) and this sometimes
leads to interesting discussions. There are some VERY interesting people on
the net, and I've met a good number of them this way (much to my benefit!)

    2) It is a totally negative and uninformed flame, that I don't feel like
       arguing about, as I've already stated my opinion on the net;

Can't complain here. No sense talking to someone who doesn't listen.

    3) I'm so busy, that I just save the letter in a file, and then
       I forget about it until it's too late;

If you are too busy to answer mail, you are too busy to read it. Common
courtesy time again, children. If someone is willing to take the time to
write to you, being too busy is simply an excuse for laziness.

    4) I read the mail when I'm too loaded to be doing it, and space
       it out (this is rare, but it has happened).

I've never had a problem with this, because I know that if I get anywhere
near a computer under these conditions I can do things that take weeks to
unravel (I have one program that to this day I haven't figured out what it
does, but it seems to do it quite well). Needless to say, attempting to
read your mail under these conditions is stupid, not only because any
replies you might attempt will probably embarass you later, but you will
most likely forget what you read later anyway (a similar situation is
exhaustion).

Final note. If it seems to you that I have been harping on being nice to
each other, well, I have (*smart boy! Get bisquit!*). It seems to me that
too often people seem to take the others on the net for granted. This shows
up in many ways, from not bothering to reply to a mail message or
'forgetting' to post a summary to some of the more inventive flames I've
seen. Please remember that on the other side of that keyboard is (I hope) a
living, breathing person. If you are nice to that person, they will be
(unless they are worthless cretins) nice to you. 

You know something? This topic has the potential for replacing spelling
flames on the net... I think its time to be quiet for now. Have a NICE day!

chuq
-- 
From the house at Pooh Corner:		Chuq 'Nuke Wobegon' Von Rospach
{fortune,menlo70}!nsc!chuqui		Have you hugged your Pooh today?

Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie