🚀 go-pugleaf

On 02-Apr-96 02:17:58, Will Bow wrote in comp.sys.amiga.networking about Re:
AWeb and IBrowse:
>: Then I see things like the running complaint about the AWeb 'divide by 0'
>: guru. If a program crashes immediately, wouldn't that cause even one person
>: to read the doc and notice that there is a home page for the program.

>Mr Wagner,

>       THIS IS NOT A FLAME!

>       I'm the guy that first reported the 'divide by 0' error.
>My intent was not to cause a long running discussion on the topic
>but to find out if anybody else had seen this happen and if they
>had any ideas on how to get around it.  I got what I needed the
>very next day.

Maybe I should make myself a little more clear. I didn't mean to point out
that the 'divide by 0' original post was in any fault what-so-ever.

There is a nature to newsgroups that many users don't understand. As you said,
you got the answer the next day. However, a week later somone is reading your
original post and replying with some various message that boils down to 'I got
the problem too. AWeb sucks!'

The nature I referred to is best explained by an example:

A new newsgroup reader is poking along throught he posts...

He comes to a post where a user mentions having a divide by 0 error with AWeb.
Since he had that error the day before and didn't know what to do, he replies
to the post with 'I got the divide by 0 error also. I couldn't make AWeb work.
This program is useless.'

So, that post is out there now, maybe even a week after the original post that
actually asked 'Did anyone FIX the divide by 0 problem', not 'How many people
thinks this program sucks?'

The story doesn't end there. A few minutes later this new user happens across
a reply to the post he just replied to giving a simple solution to the divide
by 0 problem. There is now a dilema. Does the new user reply to this note and
retract their post he just sent out? Does he try to get his news server to
delete the post he just made and find out that with most programs the post is
sent to the newsgroup right away and you can't do that? Does he learn his
lesson about posting right away without thinking and reading all the relevent
postings on a subject first?

Being able to blurt out anything you think right away causes this negative
nature to the newsgroups. Rarely does a positive post bring about tons of
replies. Commonly a negative post can flood a newsgroup with more negative
replies. I guess that might be a reason the Dalhi Lamma will never get into
newsgroups :)

Last note: I try to think clearly about what I type before I send off a post.
I've found that well thought out postings receive tons of flames, mostly
complaining that the original poster (me) is being too contemptuous or flat
out snobbish. I don't wish to imply either, but I was raised on strong doses
of Monty Python, Dr. Who, and The Hitchhiker's Guide series - so my vacabulary
can easily take to that effect when I think too hard. In all reality, I'm a
bear of little brain :)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-= Email: Kainaw@cris.com -=- WWW: http://www.cris.com/~Kainaw =-=-=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=- Amiga Internet Guide: http://www.cris.com/~Kainaw/tcp/index.shtml -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-