> Tim Patrick <inva***@invalid.com.invalid> wrote in
> news:e3b4697623e18c8dc3a42b78bf6@newsgroups.comcast.net:
>
> > Perhaps my own fear of making mistakes kept me from participating.
>
> Making mistakes is part of learning :-)
>
> > However, a new menace has appeared in these forums. It has taken the
> > shape of Luddites who post neither questions nor answers, but only
> > their own internal fears and deficiencies in the form of verbal abuse
> > and mockery. Toying with our patience and with incorrect English
> > grammar, they fill in the gaps of their own understanding with
> > expletives and empty taunts.
>
> They're trolls - put those people on your newsreader's kill list :-)
>
> > The question is: what to do in response to these postings? A quick
> > search on Google Groups has uncovered the history of these
> > rabble-rousers, and that history is long and consistent.
>
> Give Xnews or a real newsreader a try. These applications provide very
> powerful filtering capabilities.
>
> Only cavet - you need access to a news server (Microsoft has a free one for
> Microsoft Groups... your ISP might have one with wider coverage).

"Tim Patrick" <inva***@invalid.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:e3b4697623e18c8dc3a42b78bf6@newsgroups.comcast.net...
> Friends and MVPs,
>
> I have enjoyed taking part in these public forums. For years I lurked on
> the sidelines, scavanging the technical information I required for my own
> projects. Perhaps my own fear of making mistakes kept me from
> participating. But now that I have provided a few feable answers to some
> of the questions, I have experienced the same joy you must have felt for
> years.
>
> However, a new menace has appeared in these forums. It has taken the shape
> of Luddites who post neither questions nor answers, but only their own
> internal fears and deficiencies in the form of verbal abuse and mockery.
> Toying with our patience and with incorrect English grammar, they fill in
> the gaps of their own understanding with expletives and empty taunts.
>
> The question is: what to do in response to these postings? A quick search
> on Google Groups has uncovered the history of these rabble-rousers, and
> that history is long and consistent. Responders much wiser than I have
> attempted to correct or stem the sewage of these missives, but to no
> avail. No logic or incentive will deter them from their mission of tearing
> down what others hold dear, or at least find useful. And sadly, those who
> come to these public forums looking for true assistance are greeted with
> jeers and ridicule.
>
> My initial proposal is to treat them like teeth: if you ignore them, they
> will go away. But I am open to alternate solutions.
>
> -----
> Tim Patrick - www.timaki.com
> Start-to-Finish Visual Basic 2005
>
>

"Tim Patrick" <inva***@invalid.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:e3b4697623e18c8dc3a42b78bf6@newsgroups.comcast.net...
> Friends and MVPs,
>
> I have enjoyed taking part in these public forums. For years I lurked on
> the sidelines, scavanging the technical information I required for my own
> projects. Perhaps my own fear of making mistakes kept me from
> participating. But now that I have provided a few feable answers to some
> of the questions, I have experienced the same joy you must have felt for
> years.
>
> However, a new menace has appeared in these forums. It has taken the shape
> of Luddites who post neither questions nor answers, but only their own
> internal fears and deficiencies in the form of verbal abuse and mockery.
> Toying with our patience and with incorrect English grammar, they fill in
> the gaps of their own understanding with expletives and empty taunts.
>
> The question is: what to do in response to these postings? A quick search
> on Google Groups has uncovered the history of these rabble-rousers, and
> that history is long and consistent. Responders much wiser than I have
> attempted to correct or stem the sewage of these missives, but to no
> avail. No logic or incentive will deter them from their mission of tearing
> down what others hold dear, or at least find useful. And sadly, those who
> come to these public forums looking for true assistance are greeted with
> jeers and ridicule.
>
> My initial proposal is to treat them like teeth: if you ignore them, they
> will go away. But I am open to alternate solutions.
>
> -----
> Tim Patrick - www.timaki.com
> Start-to-Finish Visual Basic 2005
>
>

> Friends and MVPs,
>
> I have enjoyed taking part in these public forums. For years I lurked on
> the sidelines, scavanging the technical information I required for my own
> projects. Perhaps my own fear of making mistakes kept me from participating.
> But now that I have provided a few feable answers to some of the questions,
> I have experienced the same joy you must have felt for years.
>
> However, a new menace has appeared in these forums. It has taken the shape
> of Luddites who post neither questions nor answers, but only their own internal
> fears and deficiencies in the form of verbal abuse and mockery. Toying with
> our patience and with incorrect English grammar, they fill in the gaps of
> their own understanding with expletives and empty taunts.
>
> The question is: what to do in response to these postings? A quick search
> on Google Groups has uncovered the history of these rabble-rousers, and that
> history is long and consistent. Responders much wiser than I have attempted
> to correct or stem the sewage of these missives, but to no avail. No logic
> or incentive will deter them from their mission of tearing down what others
> hold dear, or at least find useful. And sadly, those who come to these public
> forums looking for true assistance are greeted with jeers and ridicule.
>
> My initial proposal is to treat them like teeth: if you ignore them, they
> will go away. But I am open to alternate solutions.
>
> -----
> Tim Patrick - www.timaki.com
> Start-to-Finish Visual Basic 2005

>> Toying with our patience and with incorrect English grammar
>>
> Sorry, one more thing :-) Be careful when criticizing grammar, a lot
> of posters don't use newsreader services that have grammar and spell
> checkers (I don't and it probally shows).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Seth Rowe

> > I have enjoyed taking part in these public forums. For years I lurked on
> > the sidelines, scavanging the technical information I required for my own
> > projects. Perhaps my own fear of making mistakes kept me from participating.
> > But now that I have provided a few feable answers to some of the questions,
> > I have experienced the same joy you must have felt for years.
>
> I just started posting a few months ago, doing the same "lurking" that
> you did. It does feel good to give the same help to others that I have
> relied on heavily in the past. Fortunately, if you do ever post
> something completely wrong, most of the others will nicely (albeit
> sternly) correct your mistake. I don't worry about it too much anymore
> - I just hope I'm correct more often than I'm wrong :-) Anyways,
> welcome to the newsgroup and thanks for your contributions.
>
> > However, a new menace has appeared in these forums. It has taken the shape
> > of Luddites who post neither questions nor answers, but only their own internal
> > fears and deficiencies in the form of verbal abuse and mockery.
>
> It's a shame isn't it? Technical debates are great, but only when they
> don't result in people trashing each other. Nothing is ever solved by
> those types of conversations. Personally, I think that as soon as it is
> obvious that continuing the conversation with a posible flamer/troll
> will do noone any good then you should let the conversation be (i.e.
> don't continue to engage them). If you must, leave a final post stating
> your both your and the other opinions and advise other readers to
> investigate both opinions (as there is usually some truth in their
> arguments) Finally state clearly that you aren't going to continue the
> conversation further, and then don't.
>
> > Toying with our patience and with incorrect English grammar
>
> Sorry, one more thing :-) Be careful when criticizing grammar, a lot of
> posters don't use newsreader services that have grammar and spell
> checkers (I don't and it probally shows). Many words tend to go through
> peoples heads and never manage to make it into the typed sentences -
> but since you are a writer I'm probally preaching to the choir. Also,
> many posters aren't fluent in english and sometimes have trouble
> getting things into "proper" english. Cor Ligthert is a huge
> contributor to this (and other) newsgroup and I hold a lot of respect
> for him. But honestly, he has authored some threads that I have read
> and re-read multiple times without figuring out what he was trying to
> say. Fortunately, most of Cor's postings are easy to understand despite
> of some grammar issues, and his code samples always seem to be perfect.
> (Cor - I swear I'm not picking on you, I promise!)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Seth Rowe
>
>
> Tim Patrick wrote:
> > Friends and MVPs,
> >
> > I have enjoyed taking part in these public forums. For years I lurked on
> > the sidelines, scavanging the technical information I required for my own
> > projects. Perhaps my own fear of making mistakes kept me from participating.
> > But now that I have provided a few feable answers to some of the questions,
> > I have experienced the same joy you must have felt for years.
> >
> > However, a new menace has appeared in these forums. It has taken the shape
> > of Luddites who post neither questions nor answers, but only their own internal
> > fears and deficiencies in the form of verbal abuse and mockery. Toying with
> > our patience and with incorrect English grammar, they fill in the gaps of
> > their own understanding with expletives and empty taunts.
> >
> > The question is: what to do in response to these postings? A quick search
> > on Google Groups has uncovered the history of these rabble-rousers, and that
> > history is long and consistent. Responders much wiser than I have attempted
> > to correct or stem the sewage of these missives, but to no avail. No logic
> > or incentive will deter them from their mission of tearing down what others
> > hold dear, or at least find useful. And sadly, those who come to these public
> > forums looking for true assistance are greeted with jeers and ridicule.
> >
> > My initial proposal is to treat them like teeth: if you ignore them, they
> > will go away. But I am open to alternate solutions.
> >
> > -----
> > Tim Patrick - www.timaki.com
> > Start-to-Finish Visual Basic 2005