A better self

[Tim Peters]

[Peter Hansen]
> Since you post without smileys, I can only assume you are serious?

[Erik Max Francis]
> Yes, that's right.  Any post that doesn't contain a smiley is always
> absolutely dead serious.

Yes, that is the rule.  There's a subtler one, too:  whenever you read a
post without a smiley, you're entitled to interpret its meaning in any way
that strikes your fancy, and its author must concede that your reading is
the intended one in all respects, and was probably intended with malice
aforethought too.  There are no exceptions.

without-strong-rules-usenet-would-become-chaotic-ly y'rs  - tim