Although participants in the UT are, on the average, much more serious than in many other discussion groups, some problems still remain.
Apart from what you said, I would also like to remind all members of UT to:
Use significat names for threads. The problem should be described as specifically as is possible in a single line. "Help" isn't appropriate. "Grid problem" may be better, and "Deleted records don't dissapear in grid", even better.
Don't forward a message wildly to any members who ever participated in a discussion. I simply get too many messages that way. There should be a valid reason to forward, for instance: a) The originator of a thread thanks all members for their input. b) Someone writes an additional clarification, and thinks that some members (but usually not all!) might be interested in the details.
As to non-English speakers, perhaps one or more members can cook up a FAQ about frequent mistakes. Example: Spanish-speaking people tend to write "prove" when they mean "try", because it's the same word in Spanish. The difference should be explained in a FAQ.
Hilmar.
>???
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>I just finished reading a thread title that uses the apparently new English language standard of '???' to indicate the author's sincere desire to pose a question. This is in contrast to people who aren't really sincere and still use the antiquated single question mark '?'. I also noticed a triple-exclamation point where the author was, of course, expressing his ecstatic thanks-in-advance.
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>I suppose the triplicate punctuation is supposed to add a sense of urgency to the thread. Just for research purposes I read the contents of the thread and did not find any indication of an urgent matter. I did, however, find other indications:
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>1. I found an indication that the author was not a critical thinker.
>2. I found an indication that the author did not know how to express himself clearly and concisely a written document.
>3. I found an indication that the author did not pay attention to details.
>4. I found an indication that the author did not double-check his work.
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>These attributes correlate directly with the things that make a good programmer (or developer):
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>1. Critical thinking. This is the backbone of developing software. This is what draws people to the field. The best developers are aces in math subjects because solving a math problem uses the same parts of the brain as creating software. Critical thinking is essential to being a programmer at any experience level.
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>2. Writing skills. One of the greatest project management techniques is having a programmer prove his code works by making him explain how it works in a written document. This forces the programmer to critique his own work before anyone else sees it. Invariably, the programmer who has declared himself finished with the task can be found furiously re-writing code when he's asked to prove his work.
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>3. Pay attention to details. I hope this one is self-explanatory.
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>4. Double check work. I suppose that if one doesn't pay attention to details (see #3), double-checking sloppy work can be a real hassle too. Item #3 and item #4 usually go together.
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>Acronymns
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>I love acronyms - up to a point. 'TIA' is a great one because it conveys a simple message. There isn't much you can do to mess up 'TIA'. However, I read a thread last week where one of the posters used 'IMO' so much that I thought I was going to punch the wall before I was finished reading. It was even used twice in one sentence!
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>Hint: We already know it is your opinion because you wrote it. Unless you are a recognized expert or are actively representing a third party, there is no reason to use 'IMO'.
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>Disclaimer
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>A great thing about this board is the flag next to our name. I realize that many of us are from a different country where English is not the primary language and improper English from the international members is perfectly acceptable. My beef is with the American members who should already know how to communicate properly.
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>Maybe I wrote this because I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. But whether it is written or not, I still cringe when I see a row of question marks. It makes my teeth hurt.
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>Am I alone in feeling this way?
Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)
