The "loop and a half"

[Paul Moore]

On 9 October 2017 at 01:37, boB Stepp <robertvstepp at gmail.com> wrote:
> I follow this list in an effort to learn as much as I can even though
> I am usually a fish out of water here.  But this thread in all its
> twists and turns and various subject line changes seems to have gotten
> totally out of hand.  Even though I am quoting only part of this one
> message, there are actually many others that I am responding to here.
>
> In my opinion (Honestly admitting my lack of technical competence.),
> this insatiable thirst on this list to get every bit of technical
> minutiae exactly correct is doing a severe disservice to the
> friendliness of this community.  Yes, gently correct the (perceived)
> errors, because we all want to have it right, but please cease this
> incessant pounding of points (and people) into the ground to prove we
> are right and they are wrong!
>
> I doubt any of this is going to change Bart's mind.  Why can we not
> allow him to make his points, respond to them appropriately, and then
> let it go when it is clear he has strongly held opinions that are not
> likely to change?
>
> And Bart, when large numbers of technical experts in their fields have
> spent many hours/months/years, yea, even several decades, developing
> these software systems, why do you think that you, all by yourself,
> know better?  Can you not see how frustrating this is for people who
> have spent good chunks of their lives trying to do the best they can
> on these software systems?  Don't you think it is a better approach to
> perhaps do some self-examination and approach things from a more
> humble learner's perspective?  And BTW, there are many users of
> non-*nix systems on this list, or who do work on multiple operating
> system platforms.
>
> Can we not let people be who they are, perceived warts (valid or not)
> and all, and after responding (hopefully gently) to technical errors
> just let them be???

+1

Thank you for saying this.
Paul