Tony, my condolences, I work in the IT business and it's a constant problem that persons get insulted when you ask for more information. They usually tell me that "It doesn't work" and expect me to guess what doesn't work.
I suppose the program would be easier to install if you had a hundred extra programmers working on the project, but that not reality. When I put in this software, I realized two things, it's free, and it's cutting edge. If I wanted simple to install then I could buy some program that is not as good but looks pretty. Thank guys for all the hard work you do! At 09:03 AM 6/7/2005, Louise Hirsch wrote: >herewith the log files you requested. >Tony, the only reason I sent the e-mails to you was because I had received >an e-mail from you. I'm so sorry you find it necessary to continually >berate me--all I've done is ask for help, and you send me a file telling >me how to ask smart questions, implying that I've been asking stupid >questions. This is my fifth e-mail. In my very first e-mail I told you >that I had downloaded spambayes, installed it, followed all the >instructions and it wasn't working. You sent me to the faq's, despite the >fact that I had already told you that I had done that (i.e., followed all >instructions.) I'm not the sort of person who goes running for help at the >first little glitch. I went through all the instructions, troubleshooting >guides, etc. on SpamBayes, went as far as I could in following the >instructions, and the program still didn't work. That was the point at >which I asked for help. And here we are, five e-mails later, and the best >you can come up with is to tell me that I ask stupid questions. > >I realize you're a volunteer, and that this program is offered free of >charge, but why can't it be simpler to operate? If you would like me to >rewrite the instructions in a format so that people who are not computer >scientists can read it, I'd be happy to volunteer for that aspect. I do >quite a bit of technical writing, translating scientific journals so that >ordinary people can understand them. First, however, I'd need to >understand what the information means in the first place. > >And the first rule of business (even if it's free business)--never--ever >berate the customer, no matter how stupid s/he may be. > >I'm hopeful that the info I've sent you will allow for some resolution of >this problem. > >LGH > >----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Meyer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "'Louise Hirsch'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Cc: <[email protected]> >Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 12:38 AM >Subject: RE: [Spambayes] can't get spam bayes to work > > >[...] >>let's start with the begining. "if you are running the >>source code version." I don't know if I am or not, and I >>don't know what a source code version is. > >The beginning is a link that says "Determine your installation type". If >you click this, you will be directed to the section that explains how to >determine your installation type (binary or source). In particular, it >says: "If you downloaded an installer .EXE file, then you are running the >binary version". So you are running the binary version. > >>I followed all the instructions. I have tried to ask smart >>questions, and all I'm getting in response from you is insults, >>and I frankly can't understand why. > >I have not insulted you at all. I am doing my best to help you figure out >what is going wrong, as I do for many other people via the mailing list. >You said that you had already completed the process that I suggested in my >initial email; I pointed out that we need as much information as possible - >particularly about what you've already tried - to quickly solve the problem. >The link to ESR's FAQ for question-asking covers this (in the "be precise" >section: <http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#beprecise>). > >>Why can't you help me? > >Because I don't have all the information. The information I (or anyone >else) needs to figure out what is going wrong is (most likely) in the log >file. We need to see that log file to figure things out. > >>The next thing these instructions say are: "you will need to >>run sb_server in a command window to get the error messages, >>unless you are running as a service." As I told you before, >>this might as well be in Chinese. > >Again, this starts with "if you are running the source code version". If >you were running the source code version, then it would be a reasonable >assumption that you would understand those instructions. You are not (as >above), so know to skip the rest of the sentence. > >>When I run into people who don't understand my field, >>I try and work with them and help them, not belittle them, or >>confuse them with jargon. > >SpamBayes is an open source project, developed by volunteers in their spare >time. You are welcome to suggest improvements to the program (including the >wording of documentation), and such contributions are gladly received, and >usually quickly added to the project. You (or anyone else) are also welcome >to help anyone that asks for help via the mailing list; again, there is no >obligation for *anyone* to do this (as opposed to purchased software, where >such support may be part of the contract). > >As many users of the spambayes mailing list (not to mention elsewhere) can >attest, I do not try and belittle anyone. We also do not try and confuse >anyone with jargon - if you looked at early documentation, you would find it >was much worse. However, unless someone (with the required skills) >volunteers to improve the documentation, it won't get better. There's also >continual movement towards making using SpamBayes easier to use/install >(again, one can compare the early alphas to 1.0.4), but that also takes >time, and a lot of volunteer effort. > >>There is simply no way I can comprehend these instructions. i >>don't know what they mean, or where to go to find any >>information about them. > >The instructions from the troubleshooting guide in a step-by-step form are: > > 1. Open your Windows temp directory as follows: > > 1.1 Open an Explorer window (e.g. press Windows-E). > > 1.2. In the "Address" bar towards the top of the window, type: >"C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temp" (without the >quotes). You will need to replace "{username}" with your Windows username. > > 2. In the window, you should be able to find a file called >"SpamBayesServer1.log" (you may not see the ".log", depending on your >settings). There may be up to four others (all older), named >"SpamBayesServer2.log", "SpamBayesServer3.log", "SpamBayesServer4.log", and >"SpamBayesServer5.log". > > 3. Email this file to the mailing list. Outlook Express includes >documentation about how to attach files, but the simplest method is to >select the file in the Explorer window, press Control-C, open a new mail >message in Outlook Express, and press Control-V. > >[...] >>When I double click on it, I get a screen that says: "There >>are no untrained messages to display. Return Home or Check Again." > >This tells us that SpamBayes is running, which eliminates one possible cause >for the error you described. > >=Tony.Meyer > >-- >Please always include the list (spambayes at python.org) in your replies >(reply-all), and please don't send me personal mail about SpamBayes. >http://www.massey.ac.nz/~tameyer/writing/reply_all.html explains this. > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >[email protected] >http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/spambayes >Check the FAQ before asking: http://spambayes.sf.net/faq.html >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.6.5 - Release Date: 6/7/2005 Cecil Bayona KD5NWA www.qrpradio.com 'Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.' _______________________________________________ [email protected] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/spambayes Check the FAQ before asking: http://spambayes.sf.net/faq.html
