Andrew, let me put the question back again, > a)would you send a letter to someone on company paper saying, > You are an idiot? > b)would you stand up at a conference and say, > Person X is an idiot > c)would you spend time at a linux fix up night and > shout at a newbie, you are an idiot > > The answer is no no no. My conclusion is that it is never never never > ok to flame newbies. Never. I guess I had better add the second conclusion, that I thought was obvious: It is never never never never acceptable to flame idiots on a public email list.
Yet Andrew wrote that > It's okay to flame idiots though. So, why is okay to publicly flame idiots? You would not do it in a social setting. So why is okay to do email flames on a public email list like clug? Surely, the more socially acceptable way of doing such flames is privately? Or is email a new social order, with new rules? Nope, email is not new rules. The lawyers will tell you that email can be regarded as a legally binding document. Derek. ============================= On Mon, 13 Dec 2004, Andrew Errington wrote: > On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 10:48, you wrote: > > The answer is no no no. My conclusion is that it is never never never > > ok to flame newbies. Never. > > I agree. > > It's okay to flame idiots though. > > Andy > > > -- Derek Smithies Ph.D. This PC runs pine on linux for email IndraNet Technologies Ltd. If you find a virus apparently from me, it has Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] forged the e-mail headers on someone else's machine ph +64 3 365 6485 Please do not notify me when (apparently) receiving a Web: http://www.indranet-technologies.com/ windows virus from me......
