>???
>
>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.
>
>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:
>
>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.
>
>These attributes correlate directly with the things that make a good programmer (or developer):
>
>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.
>
>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.
>
>3. Pay attention to details. I hope this one is self-explanatory.
>
>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.
>
>Acronymns
>
>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!
>
>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'.
>
>Disclaimer
>
>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.
>
>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.
>
>Am I alone in feeling this way?

Keith;

I think we all should be allowed to rant from time to time. As for Americans (United States), who happen to be programmers, I have met a few in my career. All too many are not able to express his/her self, and rarely required to create any type of documentation. The inability to express oneself is not uncommon regardless of where a person is from or what profession they peruse. Add to this the inability of the client to communicate and it is not difficult to rationalize why software can be a “touchy” subject.

My electronic engineering background and education taught me to approach a problem and express it in clear terms. The title expresses the problem. The body contains support information and must be given in a logical manner. Allow no persons imagination to “guess” what is being conveyed, if it is possible. Clarify any unknowns before attempting to resolve an issue.

If we care to attempt to assist someone who has a problem on the UT, it would help if we had some standard format. Not that I expect this to happen but all too often I find myself asking someone who asks for help these types of questions.

1. O/S
2. Tool used (VFP, VB, etc.), version, and updates (Service Packs, etc.)
3. Hardware profile
4. Network used

You can add or modify the list but such information is helpful and would save time and traffic if it were defined up front. Some people do this but most do not.

Attempting to define a problem in words can be difficult for many persons, which is something I saw in college and then in the work place. Add to that the things others may do to “push our buttons”, and red flags will be raised from time to time by many of us.

One thing for sure we are not going to please each other in everything we do in life. Sometimes it just helps to express what you feel and at other times we just keep things inside of ourselves. Why, we must be human!

Tom