Kaarthik, Cerebrus doesn't work full time moderating this group, nor is he paid anything for doing it.
Because these discussions work both online and through email, a discussion can get heated and out of control very quickly, I often find 50 new posts each time I visit, and I feel I look on here a lot. People with intelligence should be self-moderating, and should try to put up with others who cannot. That said, it is quite a penomenon that people "discussing" on the internet will often not be themselves as they are shielded from real physical interaction by their keyboard. We've had numerous threads like this one where people start getting angry, I started one by paraphrasing a rediculous question that had led to expert leaving the group to try and show people how stupid question lead to far more than stupid answers. I enjoy reading the posts on this group, and answering where I can, and occasionally I even ask questions! This forum only needs one rule to survive happily, Try Google First! On 24 Nov, 01:45, "Kaarthik Padmanabhan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Cerebrus, > Thanks for checking in at last. > > It does not matter if someone who joins the group, reads or does not read > the rules and regulations, It is totally their problem. > But at any point if they violate the rules, YOU could remove that person - > stating that he or she has crossed the line. But for you to do that, you > should have the rules pinned down somewhere at the first place. > > Resorting to calling people names or making jokes does not seem to be the > right approach. > > Maybe you should have done this long back, probably then maybe you would not > have lost "innumerable experts" who got shooed away by slothful idiots and > laggard nincompoops. > > I can understand how frustrating it could get(especially for you) to see a > slew of emails for VFAQ's AND subscriptions. > But I share the same concern for people who get publicly humiliated and > mocked at. Put it in the rules and make it a violation and kick the person > out - seems a lot more simpler? Doesn't it? > > I only hope this thread gets closed with some solution or else it would mean > that "someone" has chickened out. > > And Brandon - are you really following this thread? Santhosh has already > answered this infamous question on this thread's 18th reply. And who were > the people who took it that long? Oh wait a second.. I do see a "Brandon" > somewhere in between there... > > Kaarthik > > On Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 1:16 AM, Brandon Betances <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > > > > Amen Brother. There's a huge difference between coherent, intelligent, well > > thought out discussions, and asking the same stupid one sentence questions > > over again. They fact of the matter is, if the OP would have taken the time > > to type Northwind into Wikipedia, which just took me all of 5 seconds to do, > > he would have gotten this answer. > > > Northwind, a sample database > > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database>included in MS > > Access <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Access> and MS SQL > > Server<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_SQL_Server>often used in examples of > > database queries or data access programming. > > > Problem solved, question answered, and now week long heated argument that > > STILL has'nt answered the question. Matter of fact, its taking me longer to > > write this message than it was to find the answer to the question. > > > Those properties, the ability to research, learn on your own, expand your > > knowledge, and know where to turn when in need of help, are what separate a > > good programmer from someone who makes a living off other peoples work. No > > offense, OP, but if you couldn't use the plethora of tools given to you by > > Al Gore, then you wont make it as a "good" software architect. > > > On Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 2:36 PM, Cerebrus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> A lot has been said in this thread about the role of moderators and > >> the need for modification of the Group's rules/regulations and I will > >> comment on them, but first, I quote : > > >> --- > >> > If Google was the answer to all the question please tell the aims and > >> > objectives of this forum. Please paste > >> > "Only Experienced and Advanced Questions and Users Expected!!" in the > >> welcome > >> > page > >> --- > > >> > (mocking at a person) is not going to invite new users and is surely not > >> making this the "most > >> > popular Google group for discussions on Microsoft.NET(R) and related > >> > technologies". > >> --- > > >> > then let us have those points added to the rules and > >> > regulations. Can we? > >> > There are a lot of things documented. Are you telling me that > >> > only undocumented and unexplained queries have been answered by people > >> in > >> > this group so far? > >> --- > > >> > this is not in rules and regulations of the > >> > forum so newbies would be eager to ask such questions. And it will be > >> good > >> > some senior members mark such questions as closed for the begining > >> itself > >> > there by avoiding some one abuse for this and avoiding a bulk thread > >> like > >> > this ;) > > >> > Something like > > >> > =========== > >> > CLOSED FOR GOOGLE > >> > =========== > > >> --- > >> > No one has answered the question about including some points to the > >> rules and > >> > regulations yet. Moderator! KNOCK KNOCK - are you there? > > >> > Let us get something constructive here with this one. Something like > >> this > >> > would not offend anyone: > > >> > 1. Avoid posting questions which have already been asked. Please > >> search > >> > the group for similar questions, before you post yours > >> > 2. Post your questions with some example code wherever possible. > >> > Arbitrary questions will not be entertained. > >> > 3. Users repeatedly violating these terms will be automatically > >> > unsubscribed from the list. > >> --- > > >> My comments are as follows : > > >> 1. The aims and objectives of this Group are the same as those of any > >> online technical discussion forum - mutually productive interaction > >> between intelligent members of a community. A user does not need to be > >> advanced or experienced to be able to Google. That is the point many > >> members have been trying to make. I want to add that this Group has > >> never been anti-newbie. One common element in most such discussions is > >> that all people who ask stupid un-researched questions are branded as > >> newbies and the impression is created that the experts in this Group > >> do not want to help newbies. This is a grossly misleading > >> characterization. All newbies are not lazy, indolent idiots who demand > >> to be assisted with the most basic of problems. A person could be very > >> experienced and still not be bothered to do the slightest research. > > >> 2. This is the most popular Google group for Microsoft.NET discussions > >> because of its members who are highly respected, highly knowledgable > >> and highly passionate about the subject. It has *not* become popular > >> because we chose to spoonfeed slothful idiots so that a good public > >> impression could be maintained. We are not a corporation and we do not > >> care about our Public relations image. We have had innumerable experts > >> leave the Group because it had become a forum for "homework questions" > >> and the majority of us did not find it intellectually stimulating at > >> all to answer a VFAQ. When laggard nincompoops leave the Group no one > >> notices but when experts leave the Group, the loss is widely felt > >> because these are the people who actually contribute to make this a > >> better community. > > >> 3. It is I who wrote the "Welcome message" of the Group two years back > >> and it is I who takes the sole responsibility for its > >> comprehensiveness (or lack, thereof). I welcome suggestions about it, > >> but before you send me manuscripts full of ideas, answer me two > >> questions - Do you know what percentage of members have never > >> (bothered to) read the Welcome message? After about 3 years moderating > >> this Group, my estimate is that about 70% of members simply ignored > >> that message and the included rules/regulations. Yes, that is the > >> reason I later changed a part of it to red and bold faced. Do you know > >> how many emails I get on my personal email address asking me to > >> subscribe them to the Group's membership ? About 1-2 every day. I > >> always check and they're almost always already subscribed. I mean, how > >> hard is it to see the "Join this Group" link on the right ? > > >> Even if I chose to include the suggested guidelines explicitly, I > >> doubt it would have much effect on the behaviour of those whose > >> languor is so great that they find it easier to ask a question here > >> rather than Google it, for those who would rather write an incoherent > >> question fully of misspellings that doesn't disclose any details about > >> the problem rather than spending a few minutes gathering their > >> thoughts. > > >> 4. There have been suggestions that this thread be closed. This group > >> is for discussions and I do not close any threads until the language > >> becomes ugly or the atmosphere becomes vitiated. Therefore, this > >> thread will remain open for the present. > > >> There can be no excuse for laziness and therefore, we do not excuse > >> it. > > >> -- > >> Cerebrus. > >> Group Moderator.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
