From: jos@and.nl (Jos Horsmeier)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: What should we do here?
Date: 16 Oct 92 18:00:18 GMT
Organization: AND Software BV Rotterdam

In article <Bw7szz.4J4@dcs.ed.ac.uk> mikef@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Mike Fourman) writes:
|
|I have just posted the following article to a local newsgroup for our
|undergraduates. It is self-explanatory.
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|In the introductory practical, the newsgroup comp.lang.c was recommended.
|This recommendation is withdrawn. The group has degenerated. It is now
|a good example of the reasons for thinking hard before you post an article,
|and thinking hard about the appropriate group to post to.
|
|Many articles now deal with particular compilers or systems, rather than C
|per se. Others are thinly disguised requests for the net do help with
|practical exercises.
|
|You SHOULD read the FAQ in comp.lang.c
|Apart from that, its become a waste of time.
|If you want real discussion of C try comp.std.c  -- but that gets a bit too
|detailed for your present needs.
|
|-- 
|Prof. Michael P. Fourman                     email        mikef@dcs.ed.ac.uk
|Dept. of Computer Science                    'PHONE (+44) (0)31-650 5198 (sec)
|JCMB, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road,              (+44) (0)31-650 5197
|Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, Scotland, UK                 FAX (+44) (0)31 667 7209
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm sorry for saying so, but I find this quite insulting towards 
Mr. Summit, Volpe, Mangolin, Winzenius and many others who are
always kind and friendly enough to explain even the simplest problems
one may encounter when using the C programming language. 

Of course frequently asked questions ooze in into this group, but
where do you think these questions come from? From people like the
ones I mentioned above? I don't think so, I think these questions
come from undergraduate students doing their introductory practical
lessons. But, on the other hand, this is an unmoderated group, and
these things can happen, but most of the time someone else is willing
to explain the purpose of this group and most people are polite enough
to listen to these people and obey to these unwritten rules.

Of course machine and compiler specific questions ooze in into this
group and most of the time, people are adviced to seek their safety
and answers in machine and compiler specific groups. And I consider
that sort of advice as help too.

Of course the real wizard kind of discussions go on in comp.std.c,
and that's where the discussions in comp.lang.c are ported too
when stuff gets too detailed and too expert like.

Of course comp.stc.c gets (as you say) a bit too detailed for your
students. They're doing their introductory practical lessons, they're
just starting to grasp the rudiments of the C language. 

I don't consider this group being degenerated, I consider this group
to be a forum for a wide audience with all sorts of diferent needs,
questions and computers and compilers. If that doesn't fit you,
please do not insult the people I mentioned above. They're knowledgeable
people trying to help other people and trying to explain the many
idiocyncracies of the language.

Please keep these sort of advices to withdraw in your local newsgroup.

regards,

Jos aka jos@and.nl