Say you're having a problem with qmail, and you want to request help
from some people who might be able to help, and--at the same time--you
want to annoy the hell out of them. Here are a few tips:
1) Post the message multiple times. To be even more annoying, change
the subject each time--or even the body. Slight rewordings and
small additions are especially effective. Be sure not to mention
the previous "editions" of your request.
2) Describe your problem in the most general terms possible. Something
like: "My qmail doesn't work. Why?" is a good start. If somebody
else just asked that question, that's even better! (See #3) Under
no circumstances should you include detailed error messages,
message headers, log entries, qmail-showctl output, etc. OK,
there's one exception to this rule: see #4.
3) Ask a FAQ. This is not as effective as the previous two techniques
because most old timers automatically ignore FAQs.
4) If you do post details, be sure to alter them! Change domain names,
usernames, and UID's to something else. Try not to be
obvious. Use your imagination! Have fun. And, of course, don't
mention these little alterations.
5) Whine, insult, and/or threaten to use Sendmail instead of
qmail. Don't let the fact that these people are providing free tech
support get in the way.
There are others, but these are easiest, most common, and most
effective techniques. I suggest printing off a copy and taping it next
to your screen.
-Dave
