thanking for help

[aa]

In this NG should one say Thanks for help received, or better not?
The politeness urges for thanking, yet seeing how some people react to
messages sent in HTML format, one might think that thanking messages might
irritate these who seem to be concerned with the number of bits they
download.

[Andy Hassall]

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 12:48:58 +0100, "aa" <[e-mail]> wrote:

In this NG should one say Thanks for help received, or better not?
The politeness urges for thanking, yet seeing how some people react to
messages sent in HTML format, one might think that thanking messages might
irritate these who seem to be concerned with the number of bits they
download.

I think the "Smart Questions" page sums this up quite nicely:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-....html#followup

--
Andy Hassall / <an**@andyh.co.uk> / <http://www.andyh.co.uk>
<http://www.andyhsoftware.co.uk/space> Space: disk usage analysis tool

[Janwillem Borleffs]

aa wrote:

In this NG should one say Thanks for help received, or better not?
The politeness urges for thanking, yet seeing how some people react to
messages sent in HTML format, one might think that thanking messages
might irritate these who seem to be concerned with the number of bits
they download.

One of the many good things of thanking for help, is that others can see
that the provided solution has solved the problem.

Another thing is that it's nice to know that the effort of answering is
appreciated, so please do!
JW

[aa]

Thanks
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html is indeed a very
interesting document.
Sounds like a Code of Conduct for a Lunatic Assylum where the Director have
many corns, patients should avoid to step on.
The person who wrote this, bubbles with self-significance.
Indeed, he does not charge cash for his "free" advice, but one has to pay
him in kind by licking his bottom and pleasing his small but numerous egos.

[CJ Llewellyn]

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

Thanks
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html is indeed a very
interesting document.
Sounds like a Code of Conduct for a Lunatic Assylum where the Director have many corns, patients should avoid to step on.
The person who wrote this, bubbles with self-significance.
Indeed, he does not charge cash for his "free" advice, but one has to pay
him in kind by licking his bottom and pleasing his small but numerous

egos.

Why not just tell us where you live so we can come around your house and be
anti-social by stuffing dog shit through your letter box, smashing your
windows and slashing your car tyres?

As you obviously live in world where respect for other people doesn't exist
you really won't mind.

[Stefan Hegenbart]

CJ Llewellyn wrote:

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

Thanks
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html is indeed a very
interesting document.
Sounds like a Code of Conduct for a Lunatic Assylum where the Director

have

many corns, patients should avoid to step on.
The person who wrote this, bubbles with self-significance.
Indeed, he does not charge cash for his "free" advice, but one has to pay
him in kind by licking his bottom and pleasing his small but numerous

egos.

Why not just tell us where you live so we can come around your house and be
anti-social by stuffing dog shit through your letter box, smashing your
windows and slashing your car tyres?

As you obviously live in world where respect for other people doesn't exist
you really won't mind.

and isn't it ironic.. don't you think.. it's like raaaain.. *sing*

i can only speak for myself. i appreciate a small thanks to know my
advice helped or maybe it didn't. it's like feedback and can improve the
quality of my answers (and my mood!)

reg.
sh

--
"The goal of Computer Science is to build something that will last at
least until we've finished building it." -- unknown

[aa]

Sorry, CJ Llewellyn, I did not know that you are the author of that Code and
did not mean to hurt you.
Please accept my appology.
If you are so excited about (I quote) "we can to come around and be
anti-social by stuffing dog shit through letter box, smashing windows and
slashing your car tyres" - then no need to bother - you have just
accomplished that.
Once again, I am sorry for troubling trouble.
"CJ Llewellyn" <in*****@example.con> wrote in message
news:cj**********@slavica.ukpost.com...

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

Thanks
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html is indeed a very
interesting document.
Sounds like a Code of Conduct for a Lunatic Assylum where the Director have

many corns, patients should avoid to step on.
The person who wrote this, bubbles with self-significance.
Indeed, he does not charge cash for his "free" advice, but one has to pay him in kind by licking his bottom and pleasing his small but numerous

egos.

Why not just tell us where you live so we can come around your house and

be anti-social by stuffing dog shit through your letter box, smashing your
windows and slashing your car tyres?

As you obviously live in world where respect for other people doesn't exist you really won't mind.

[Mark A. Boyd]

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:28:01 GMT, aa wrote:

Thanks
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html is indeed a very
interesting document.
Sounds like a Code of Conduct for a Lunatic Assylum where the Director
have many corns, patients should avoid to step on.
The person who wrote this, bubbles with self-significance.
Indeed, he does not charge cash for his "free" advice, but one has to
pay him in kind by licking his bottom and pleasing his small but
numerous egos.

<unlurk>
Speaking as one who has been using newsgroups and mailing lists for many
years, it seems to me he is offering advice based on observances. He
clearly states what can happen when one strays outside the general
guidelines he's posted. I have observed the same and can vouch for it both
from a newbie status and as one who offers help.

His is certainly not the first or only page to make such
observations/advice. A google search on netiquette results in many hits for
similar pages.

If you choose not to follow such advice, don't be surprised if/when you get
the responses he warned you about.
</unlurk>
--
Mark A. Boyd
Keep-On-Learnin' :)

[aa]

"i appreciate a small thanks to know my advice helped"

So do I. However I saw a strongly expressed opinion of a "hacker" that he
was too busy to download someone's self-indulgence in politeness - hence my
doubts.

BTW, why some people are so against HTML? I appreciate last century it
indeed used to make difference in download time - it this still the case
now? To my mind HTML helps to make a message more readbly as it allows to
hightlight the important bits
"Stefan Hegenbart" <ic*@hegi.info> wrote in message
news:2r*************@uni-berlin.de...

CJ Llewellyn wrote:

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

Thanks
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html is indeed a very
interesting document.
Sounds like a Code of Conduct for a Lunatic Assylum where the Director

have

many corns, patients should avoid to step on.
The person who wrote this, bubbles with self-significance.
Indeed, he does not charge cash for his "free" advice, but one has to payhim in kind by licking his bottom and pleasing his small but numerous

egos.

Why not just tell us where you live so we can come around your house and be anti-social by stuffing dog shit through your letter box, smashing your
windows and slashing your car tyres?

As you obviously live in world where respect for other people doesn't exist you really won't mind.

and isn't it ironic.. don't you think.. it's like raaaain.. *sing*

i can only speak for myself. i appreciate a small thanks to know my
advice helped or maybe it didn't. it's like feedback and can improve the
quality of my answers (and my mood!)

reg.
sh

--
"The goal of Computer Science is to build something that will last at
least until we've finished building it." -- unknown

[Michael Fesser]

.oO(aa)

BTW, why some people are so against HTML?
Usenet (and e-mail) is a plain text medium.
I appreciate last century it
indeed used to make difference in download time - it this still the case
now?
Yes. How many people have DSL? Even with ISDN it makes a big difference
if you have to download 8KB _per posting_ or just 2KB. Not to mention
modem users (yes, they still exist, and one advantages of usenet is that
you don't need a highspeed connection).
To my mind HTML helps to make a message more readbly as it allows to
hightlight the important bits

Too expensive. Postings bloated to 2-3 times their original size just
for highlighting this or that and the need to use another software? If
I'd want HTML I would use a webforum, but I prefer usenet because it's
simple, fast, usable and reliable, messages contain the informations I
want in its purest and most accessible form. Additionally I can emphase
certain things even in pure ASCII if necessary: _underlined_, /italic/,
*bold*. Most people understand that.

Another thing (not directly related to usenet postings): What is one of
the reasons for e-mail-worm attacks besides broken mail agents? Yes,
HTML and its capability of containing active content. My mail- and news-
reader only handles plain text, a worm can't even knock on the door.

I like HTML and all the stuff around it very much, but only where it
belongs, not in e-mail or usenet.

Micha

[Theo]

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net:

"i appreciate a small thanks to know my advice helped"

So do I. However I saw a strongly expressed opinion of a "hacker" that
he was too busy to download someone's self-indulgence in politeness -
hence my doubts.

Thanking people is always good, and in case I neglected to do so for my
own questions... Thanks everyone!
BTW, why some people are so against HTML? I appreciate last century
it indeed used to make difference in download time - it this still the
case now? To my mind HTML helps to make a message more readbly as it
allows to hightlight the important bits

Perhaps Im overstating things but I thought it had to do with security
and HTML automatically accessing unwanted content, especially with
outlook.

[aa]

It is always useful to see different opinions - thanks everybody who replied

[CJ Llewellyn]

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

"i appreciate a small thanks to know my advice helped"

So do I. However I saw a strongly expressed opinion of a "hacker" that he
was too busy to download someone's self-indulgence in politeness - hence my doubts.

BTW, why some people are so against HTML? I appreciate last century it
indeed used to make difference in download time - it this still the case
now? To my mind HTML helps to make a message more readbly as it allows to
hightlight the important bits

When you look at a HTML e-mail/usenet post (right click, properties) you'll
see that you are sending the message twice, so your message is a lot bigger
than it needs to be. You message doesn't just reside on one server, it is
distributed to approximately 80,000/150,000 servers. Where it takes up a lot
more storeage and bandwidth than it needs. This in turn is costing you and
everyone else who pays for an Internet connection more money as your ISP
needs bigger hard drives, faster servers, more Internet pipelines.

People with visual impairments will be using text to speach readers, try
reading <span><font size="+3">THANKS</font></span> out loud to somebody and
see if they understand it.

As for your comments about ESR, well they may be right, people who have
actually met him say his personal hygine leaves a lot to be desired.

As for HTML in usenet, it's anti-social, unwarrented, no thanks.

[Chung Leong]

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

"i appreciate a small thanks to know my advice helped"

So do I. However I saw a strongly expressed opinion of a "hacker" that he
was too busy to download someone's self-indulgence in politeness - hence my doubts.

BTW, why some people are so against HTML? I appreciate last century it
indeed used to make difference in download time - it this still the case
now? To my mind HTML helps to make a message more readbly as it allows to
hightlight the important bits

I agree with you there. As it is, you get all sort of weird line breaks when
you reply to a message because the addition of "> " sometimes pushes a line
to beyond 80 characters long.

The resistance to HTML is just Internet conservatism at work, methinks.
UseNet is one part of the net that hasn't seen much commercialisation, so we
don't have the same entrepreneurial spirit that helped push web technology
forward. If we apply the reasons people cited to the web, our browsers would
still look more or less like NCSA Mosaic v.1.

[Steve]

Chung Leong wrote:

"aa" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:41***********************@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

"i appreciate a small thanks to know my advice helped"

So do I. However I saw a strongly expressed opinion of a "hacker" that he
was too busy to download someone's self-indulgence in politeness - hence

my

doubts.

BTW, why some people are so against HTML? I appreciate last century it
indeed used to make difference in download time - it this still the case
now? To my mind HTML helps to make a message more readbly as it allows to
hightlight the important bits

I agree with you there. As it is, you get all sort of weird line breaks when
you reply to a message because the addition of "> " sometimes pushes a line
to beyond 80 characters long.

The resistance to HTML is just Internet conservatism at work, methinks.
UseNet is one part of the net that hasn't seen much commercialisation, so we
don't have the same entrepreneurial spirit that helped push web technology
forward. If we apply the reasons people cited to the web, our browsers would
still look more or less like NCSA Mosaic v.1.

If you think that, then why not raise an rfc and get it changed?

[Simon Stienen]

Michael Fesser <ne*****@gmx.net> wrote:

.oO(aa)

BTW, why some people are so against HTML?
Usenet (and e-mail) is a plain text medium.

1.0 ACK

I appreciate last century it
indeed used to make difference in download time - it this still the case
now?

Yes. How many people have DSL? Even with ISDN it makes a big difference
if you have to download 8KB _per posting_ or just 2KB. Not to mention
modem users (yes, they still exist, and one advantages of usenet is that
you don't need a highspeed connection).

Not only those. I got DSL but pay per traffic: 2 GB / month are inclusive,
every MB more costs 1.2 eurocents. This are peanuts, but 1 HTML-message for
the price of 4 plain text messages is still 1 HTML-message for the price of
4 plain text messages.

To my mind HTML helps to make a message more readbly as it allows to
hightlight the important bits

Too expensive. Postings bloated to 2-3 times their original size just
for highlighting this or that and the need to use another software? If
I'd want HTML I would use a webforum, but I prefer usenet because it's
simple, fast, usable and reliable, messages contain the informations I
want in its purest and most accessible form. Additionally I can emphase
certain things even in pure ASCII if necessary: _underlined_, /italic/,
*bold*. Most people understand that.

Don't forget that you can mark words without writing around it, too.
^^^^^^ Another thing (not directly related to usenet postings): What is one of
the reasons for e-mail-worm attacks besides broken mail agents? Yes,
HTML and its capability of containing active content. My mail- and news-
reader only handles plain text, a worm can't even knock on the door.
Especially for you: Willy Worm (why does all worms have to be called
"Willy"?!) :)

,--,--. *knock*
| ' | *knock*
| O O | ___
,---- | ,-- --.
| | / \ ,
`--- \ / \ /|
|__, \ / ,. \ / |
| `´ / \ \ / |
\ / \ `-´ |
\ / \ /
`--_____--´ `--___--´

I like HTML and all the stuff around it very much, but only where it
belongs, not in e-mail or usenet.

Micha

1.0 ACK, again

Simon
--
Simon Stienen <http://dangerouscat.net> <http://slashlife.de>
»What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence,
The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done.«
-- Sherlock Holmes in "A Study in Scarlet" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle