On Fri, 25 Aug 2000, Dean wrote:
> It is interesting to watch some of the list subscribers complain and
> whine about the level of complexity in the questions being submitted
> to this list. Yet, if you sit back and think about it, these simple
> questions probably help the majority of the subscribers on this
> list. This list isn't labeled SERVLET-ADVANCED, nor is it labeled
> SERVLET-BEGINNER. It is a public list with a clearly defined
> policy. Posting any type of questions, whether complex or simple, is
> perfectly fitting with the policy.
Yes, the policy is pretty clearly defined, but unfortunately you seem
to be unfamiliar with it. It indicates that (among other things):
this list is for servlets (and hence that non-servlet-related posts
don't belong here)
before posting general, basic questions, you should try other
resources; it lists a number of such resources, including online
FAQs and tutorials (and books are another obvious one)
vendor-specific questions should be sent to the vendor (and/or one
of their mailing lists/web-based forums)
Now I suppose one reason for your ignorance is that this policy is no
longer posted regularly, as it once was (since that can be automated,
that should be very easy for Sun to do, so another strike against
them). I don't know if this policy is mentioned on Sun's web pages,
or sent out to new list subscribers. I've appended a copy of the old
regular posting below.
I also don't accept your claim that these basic/off-topic questions
(and often the ten similar responses they generate -- remember, it's
not just the simplistic questions that people are complaining about)
help the majority of the people on the list. We have had a number of
people come out and say that they don't mind these postings, but we've
also had many come out and say they do.
[ ... ]
> Ask your questions, if you get a response great. If you do not, look
> elsewhere and if you get mail telling you to stop posting simple
> questions, delete it. Use this list as it is intended. As a possible
> way to finding a solution relating to SERVLET technology, regardless
> of how simple some subscribers may find it. If you do not know the
> answer to a problem, it is welcomed here.
[ ... ]
If you want a list with those policies, then maybe you should start
one and run it. But that is *not* what this list is intended for.
It's bad enough that so many people support the abuse of this list,
but then when some go so far as to claim that that is not against the
list policies, that's just plain ignorance and/or arrogance.
Milt Epstein
Research Programmer
Software/Systems Development Group
Computing and Communications Services Office (CCSO)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
|
|From: James Davidson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
|Subject: Servlet FAQ & Resource Information
|
|This is a weekly informative posting about the servlet-interest list.
|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|Before asking questions of a general nature, please check out the
|resources available online to see if your question already has an
|answer. The best place to start is our web site:
|
| http://java.sun.com/products/servlet
|
|An excellent place to start learning about servlets is the Servlet
|Trail of the Servlet Tutorial:
|
| http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/servlets/index.html
|
|We also have a listing of external resources you may find helpful:
|
| http://java.sun.com/products/servlet/external-resources.html
|
|Some FAQs that may help you
|
| http://www.purpletech.com/servlet-faq/
| http://www.interpasnet.com/JSS/textes/servfaq.htm
|
|You are encouraged to help out with the maintenance and growth of these
|faqs.
|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|A few notes about the use of this list. We at Sun enjoy hosting this
|list to give everyone a forum to discuss servlets and related
|technology. There are a few things that we ask of you, the list
|members:
|
| Please don't engage in advertising. We like to hear when new
| products are announced and a link for all the
| information. What we don't like are lengthy press releases,
| advertisements, and other material which falls under the
| umbrella term "marketing". There is no problem in stating how
| your product compares to another, but remember, this isn't run
| by Sun to be an advertising forum -- but as a technical forum.
|
| Please don't post attachments to the list. The use of VCards
| and S/MIME is not really needed on a list like this and is
| annoying to some whose readers don't support them. More
| serious is the posting of .zip files and other larger
| items. You might get flamed a little bit for S/MIME or posting
| in HTML. You will be removed from the list for posting a .zip
| or other archive file.
|
| If you need technical support from a vendor, please contact
| that vendor directly.
|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|Now, back to regularly scheduled programming.
|
|James Duncan Davidson
|Servlet API Project Lead
|
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