Re: [WinMac] ENOUGH ALREADY! -- list guidelines reminders

Kurt Witowski(r5213c[at]email.sps.mot.com)
Wed, 13 Jan 1999 15:34:02 -0700

God I love this list.

Marc Bizer wrote:

"Debating the respective merits of the Windows and Mac platforms isn't the
purpose of this list."

It's not? Seems to me that 25+% of the posts in one fashion or another state:
I am working in a mixed environment and want to do X. What are the pros and
cons of each platform?

"…we're considering moving back to a moderated list."

Gee, why not assign Bill Gates and Steve Jobs the task of moderating the list.
That way everyone will be set straight on what is "right."

"Civility is key."

Thank-You Marc! The problem is that not everyone has the same idea on what
being civil is. Welcome to the real world.

"As someone who just unsubscribed put it, "... I just do not have the time to
wade through all the other material, and the petty bickering about which OS is
better. I MUST use both in my work, and my personal preference about which one
is better is a moot point." So no more debates…"

This attitude is about the equivalent of wanting a plush green lawn and then
considering it unreasonable to fertilize and cut it. So if all the posts don't
have an exclusive, direct, and immediate benefit to *your* current issues then
they're worthless? Well, if it's not too much trouble you can look under the
Subject heading, move the mouse over the ones you don't want to read, click
once to select it, move the mouse again (I know this is asking a lot) over the
delete button, click on it, and then you don't even have to read it. Before
you do though, keep in mind that someone else's issue today may be your issue
tomorrow. Another time and effort saver would be to subscribe to the digest version.

Robert James wrote:

"I think this list is the perfect place for users of both platforms to raise
questions that can be constructively answered as to which OS is better for
particular tasks. The extracurricular comments in response just need to be
kept out, or sent in private."

Thank-You Robert! Great suggestion about sending private email (when the
subject is obviously off-topic or run amuck). However, not everyone has the
same idea on what "constructively answered" and "extracurricular comments"
are. Welcome to the real world. What may not appear relevant to one person may
be totally relevant to another.

Daniel L. Schwartz wrote:

" I **CAN'T** get my job done when the software & hardware I depend on is Steveified."

Obviously, this matters, at the very least, to Dan (if not many others). Is
Dan right *all* the time? I think not. Does he have a monopoly on the truth?
Of course not. Does he have a passion for what he does and care about the
resulting quality from his efforts? Seems that way to me. Does he get upset
when he feels poor decisions are imposed upon him? Seems that way to me. Can
he be less than tactful at times? Seems that way to me. But you know what? In
a world where many people have a "don't bother me and just give me the
paycheck" attitude, Dan's refusal to walk on eggshells with his tail between
his legs is a breath of fresh air, and I have to admire the man for that.

Chris Hoogendyk wrote:

"I find it incredibly offensive, however, to be constantly subjected to
flaming about "f#*@ed by Steve again" and "Steveified" in reference to
policies that some bitter individual happens to disagree with. We have had to
put up with…"

Point taken. However, perhaps it would be of benefit to value content over
style, i.e. don't get so hung-up on *how* people communicate things – *what*
they are saying is far more important. And Dan, perhaps it would be of benefit
to modify your style a tad (without loosing the integrity of your position) in
order to not offend people. For example, I always prefer to address people by
their first name and prefer people do the same when addressing me (Mr.
Witowski is too detatched and impersonal for me). Believe it or not, some
people are offended by this (sounds like an ego thing to me). Therefore, when
and if I become aware of this, I will not address them by their first name –
for their sake not mine.

Marlan wrote:

"… it was those replies that helped to temper my strong views along with
tempering those of my committee members. They recognized that the Mac was not
a dead platform. That it was powerful, easy to use and to configure. I
recognized that NT was perhaps even more stable and robust than the Mac OS and
not the monster that I'd thought it was."

Thank-You Marlan! Seems to me that the list is accomplishing what it intends,
even if we get uncomfortable and/or tired of it at times. Welcome to the real world.

Regards,
   Kurt

------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Kurt Witowski • Deskside Support • Peidmont Site Lead
   Voice: (602) 383-5374 • Page: (602) 270-3181 • Fax: (602) 383-5130

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