Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2001 19:25:24 -0600 From: Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> To: richard childers <fscked@pacbell.net> Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Pimping FreeBSD Information (was: 'Order') Message-ID: <15008.18436.560244.184628@guru.mired.org> In-Reply-To: <3AA02592.7E156FCF@pacbell.net> References: <15004.45443.407304.303790@guru.mired.org> <3A9FFBCA.AAECD0C@pacbell.net> <15007.65140.482441.926268@guru.mired.org> <3AA02592.7E156FCF@pacbell.net>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
richard childers <fscked@pacbell.net> types: > I would have to review what you have contributed before I could comment on whether what > you are doing is *exactly* like what Tim is doing. Actually, I wasn't clear. I'm doing the same things that Tim is doing. I have no idea why he's doing them. You seem to believe that he's doing them for the same reasons that I am, and find his behavior objectionable. > I haven't seen Tim refer anyone to anything he's written that is in the public domain; > reviewing the archives, I see several times that he has referenced people to his book, > explicitly, rather than answer the question. So? You haven't seen me refer to anything I've written that's in the public domain, either. I haven't done it. > Tim says he's only been on freebsd-questions since January. So he seems to have offered > his book for sale to several people, in less than two months, rather than answering > their questions. I haven't *ever* seen Tim offer his book for sale. I haven't seen him recommend that anyone purchase his book, either. I've seen him recommend that people read it, which isn't the same thing. > I wouldn't care if he offered the book *after* answering the questions; but that's what > the .signature does, doesn't it? And I have no objections to such. That's been made > clear to all. Why should he retype something he's already written, or even bother cutting and pasting it? I wouldn't do that - in fact, I don't. I provide a reference so they can find what I wrote. So does he. If we believe we're providing a reference to the best source for the information they need, that's an answer. It's even a good answer, and in line with the regular postings about how to get the best results from -questions. > When you start pushing your book in lieu of good answers, you can probably assume that > I will publically object to it. Until then, I think you are missing my point ... > perhaps deliberately. I already push what I wrote instead of providing good answers. I do that because I've already answered the question to the best of my ability, and it's easier to provide a reference than to provide the answer again. I also do it in hopes that it will cause someone to throw a few dollars my way. Ted also refers people to something he's written, and presumably believes is the best possible answer. If he does so in hopes that he may make a few bucks, so what? > As for public support, I'm not looking for it. I never asked for it. I'm capable of > standing up for what's right without a pack behind me to prop me up, thanks. You've demonstrated that you can stand up for what you believe in, anyway. > If you need your friends amongst the subscribers to freebsd-questions to prop you up, > you are free to Cc: them; but don't claim that I am forcing you to such a stooped > posture. (-; Nah, I'm not claiming you forced me to do this. I'm simply standing up for what's right. In this case, that happens to be not talking about someone behind their back. Since you're objecting to Ted's behavior on -questions, -questions is the obvious forum. Out of courtesy, I didn't cc my reply to your original message there, but warned you that I would do so in the future. <mike > -- richard > > > Mike Meyer wrote: > > > richard childers <fscked@pacbell.net> types: > > > "That he's selling it as a book and thus makes a profit if you buy it > > > isn't relevant." > > > > > > Nonsense. Your skill at modularizing has blinded you to fundamental boundaries of > > > civilized behavior; your web of rationales is interesting but unconvincing. > > > > Or possibly your anger at getting no support for your position has > > made you so desperate to score a point you're replying to straw men, > > and not the actual point. > > > > Everything I've posted for months has carried an ad for my paid > > services. I regularly post pointers to text I've written. Writing the > > text, posting the pointers, and posting the ad are all done in hopes > > of improving my cash flow. No one has complained yet, and a number of > > people have thanked me. That's because my goals are *not* > > relevant. What's relevant is that those people feel they have gotten > > value for the time they've invested, ads and all. > > > > If you want to argue about what I'm doing - which is *exactly* like > > what Ted is doing - take it back to -questions, where the people who > > actually pay for and benefit from the messages can have a say. If you > > reply without including -questions, I'll make sure I include them if I > > bother to reply. > > > > <mike > > > > > -- richard > > > > > > > > > Mike Meyer wrote: > > > > > > > Garance A Drosihn <drosih@rpi.edu> types: > > > > > At 7:16 AM -0800 2/27/01, richard childers wrote: > > > > > >Maybe you should offer to send free copies to people ... or quote > > > > > >from your book, instead of just referring to it. > > > > > >I've seen two references to this book ... two attempts to pander > > > > > >it, to pimp it, to sell it, to drum up orders for it ... but I > > > > > >don't see you, Ted, contributing any expertise. Just sales > > > > > >advertisements. > > > > > After having read the messages that seemed to have annoyed you, > > > > > I think Ted's comments were fine. The guy wrote a book, that > > > > > does not mean he is required to stop and provide customized > > > > > excerpts for the book for everyone who has a question that might > > > > > be answered by the book. > > > > > > > > Right - he's providing a pointer to what he believes is the best > > > > information that answers the question. That he wrote it isn't > > > > relevant, though you'd expect an author to consider their work to be > > > > the best available (otherwise, why write it?). A number of people - me > > > > included - regularly provide pointers to things they wrote that > > > > answers questions. It beats typing the information in all over again. > > > > > > > > That he's selling it as a book and thus makes a profit if you buy it > > > > isn't relevant. You don't have to buy it, you just have to read > > > > it. It'd be nice if he posted it to the web, but he may not have the > > > > rights to do that. > > > > > > > > > >If I am, I'm sure others - not you, Ted - will inform me. And > > > > > >I will duly apologize. > > > > > Will you? Good. > > > > > > > > Yup. Anyone willing to provide good answers (and Ted does) should be > > > > encouraged, not discouraged. > > > > > > > > <mike > > > > -- > > > > Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/ > > > > Independent WWW/Perforce/FreeBSD/Unix consultant, email for more information. > > > > > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > > > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message > > > > > > -- > > > Richard A. Childers > > > Senor UNIX Administrator > > > fscked@pacbell.net (email) > > > 203.556.8471 (voice/msgs) > > > > > > # Providing administrative expertise (not 'damage control') since 1986. > > > # PGP fingerprint: 7EFF 164A E878 7B04 8E9F 32B6 72C2 D8A2 582C 4AFA > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/ > > Independent WWW/Perforce/FreeBSD/Unix consultant, email for more information. > > -- > Richard A. Childers > Senor UNIX Administrator > fscked@pacbell.net (email) > 203.556.8471 (voice/msgs) > > # Providing administrative expertise (not 'damage control') since 1986. > # PGP fingerprint: 7EFF 164A E878 7B04 8E9F 32B6 72C2 D8A2 582C 4AFA > > > -- Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/ Independent WWW/Perforce/FreeBSD/Unix consultant, email for more information. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?15008.18436.560244.184628>