Re: Is this a clique? No one gave me the secret handshake!

[Howard <howie@loop.com>]

At 08:42 AM 8/10/96 EDT, dewar@gnat.com (Robert Dewar)wrote:
>Howard seems to think he is entitled to free advice, but mailing lists
>and newsgroups don't work that way. Basically people answer either
>questions that are interesting enough to invest some effort in, or
>simple questions that they can answer instantly. If you ask a question
>and get no answer it simply means that no one considers the question
>interesting and/or no one knows an answer. Sure there is enough expertise
>on the list that almost any question could be answered by someone *if* they
>invested the time, but no one is being paid on a group like this to spend
>time helping other people!
>
>And of course some people *do* like to chatter about controversial issues :-)

Robert was kind enough to write to me personally and suggest that "[I] might
concentrate on helping answer other peoples questions, [my] attitude seems a
bit extraordinary, as though [I am] somehow entitled to free help!"

 Perhaps, when I posted the in-depth response to our fellow member James S.
Dickson's questions relating to the 701, Robert found my post or the
question "uninteresting".
  Whatever Robert's general demeanor as self-appointed moderator of this
group, his above reply is what seems to ME most extraordinary.  Not only
does he see fit to dictate what I should "concentrate on..." but seems
unaware that his insinuation holds little truth.  No doubt he was involved
in more "interesting" matters at the time of my other postings as well.  (I
don't respond unless I HAVE something constructive to add or say...)  In any
event, if he cared to peruse the copy of the posting I sent directly to him,
he will see that I went to great lengths to provide the detailed information
that proved helpful with my Thinkpad, information that I felt could be of
use to James Dickson, or anyone else with a similar problem:

Howard Simpson  <howie@loop.com>
(no, I don't have a fancy signature either!)