[ic] makecat fails to create usable catalog 4.8.3-1 noarch

[Jim Balcom]

On Sun, 16 Dec 2001 tburt@timburt.com wrote:

>>I really appreciate your assistance, and I saw the posting about how to
>>ask good questions.  I agree with alot of what that posting says, but I
>>found it to be a little harsh...  And a tad arrogant.

I'm sorry that you found it arrogant. I did not write it, however. Proper
credit for the authorship was posted with the message. It was originally
posted to the IC list and promoted by Dan Browning.

>>Prior to posting my query here, I did check out the list archives and I
>>perused the volume of postings since December 1, looking for anything that
>>might give a clue to my problem.
>>
>>I count twelve pages of 50 postings each since about December first.  That
>>makes 600 postings.  Most of which are "Re:" postings with Subject lines
>>that don't really reflect the nature of the post.  600 postings.

The IC list is a VERY busy list. A LOT of stuff gets covered in a hurry.
And, too many questions are being asked where the person can easily get the
answer by reading the docs and the mailing list archives. I am much more
tolerant and gentler than many others - John Beima for instance.

15 days of postings are not enough to go through. The software is free.
Before I selected IC I spent over $1000 buying store software that was
grossly inadequate. To get what I needed I was going to have to spend around
$5,000 and IC gives it to me for free. I consider it a bargain to spend a
few hours doing the research to resolve a problem that I am having.

>>I checked out anything that looked remotely related, and some that did
>>not.  I did not read every single post.  I did not find an answer.
>>
>>I realize that you may have been on this list, reading the posts as they
>>come in, and perhaps you have seen this issue addressed before.  If you
>>have, you must have some recollection of what the fix involves, and if
>>your intent was to be helpful, you might have responded to my query with:
>>
>>------------
>>I recall a post a few hours/days/weeks ago that addressed your question.
>>It was in a thread that involved "Subject xxx".  Have a look at the
>>archives and see if you can find it.  It had something to do with library
>>somthing or other not being up to date.  Hope this helps, and if it
>>doesn't, post again and I will see if I can find it.
>>------------

Uuummm.... now see, this is a good example. I gave you a clue and a
possible direction to head in. But, you want me to do the research - for
free - for you. This is not a problem that I have ever experienced, so why
should I go digging? If you will pay me a consulting fee, I'll be glad to
research it for you - using the same resources that are available to you for
free.

>>Your reply was surprisingly terse.  I think you could have said alot more,
>>but you choose not to because either you don't know the answer, or you
>>don't want to share it, because then you wouldn't feel so damn impotent.
>>Yes, impotent.

You are correct, I don't know the answer. It's never happened to me, so in
the many times that I have seen the question and the resulting answer I have
ignored it. I've only mentally filed away the fact that it was asked and
answered.

>>Perhaps we need a post on how to reply to a reasonable request for
>>assistance.  Jim....

So, it's damned if I do, and damned if I don't! We get a myriad of posts
from people complaining that they posted a query and didn't get a response.
So I give a response and a possible direction to go in, and I still get my
ass chewed!

The IC list is a high volume list and anything that you have ever done
before is small banannas compared to this one. We are trying to keep the
bandwidth down by getting people to post questions intelligently and
meaningfully. By getting people to have read the manuals (I've downloaded
them in PDF format, printed them out, and have bound them for easy
reference. Have you?) And, by getting people to read the FAQ, as well as
going through the mailing list archives, even as far back as a year.

If EVERYONE would read the manuals and went through the mailing list
archives before they asked their questions, the mailing list would be down
to, maybe, 5-10 messages a day.

>>Timothy Burt
>>Internet Specialist

In view of your postings and your attitude, this sig line is offensive to
me. It's equivalent to my saying that I am a sex specialist.

-= Jim =-

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Jim's Linux-Operated Underground Bomb Shelter

Tagline for Sunday, December 16, 2001 at 18:45 PM:
What does ignorant mean?

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This Linux System has been up 507 hours

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