Re: [exim] Why is this list so abusive?

On Sat, 2006-04-22 at 18:39 +0100, Jason Meers wrote:
<snip>
> The list can be intimidating to new users.

Strictly OT, but related...

I started to learn to scuba dive in 1999, by joining the club at the
university where I worked. I had only ever done a try dive, so it was
completely new to me.
There were a small number of very experienced members of the club whose
general role was perceived by the newer members to be trainers,
instructors or leaders. On a number of occasions they had (with good
reason, mostly) to resort to what most of us regarded as intimidating
language or behaviour, simply by going off into technical discussions or
talking about (or doing) dives which were way out of the rest of our
experience. Sometimes the equivalent of RTFM would be mentioned, in as
much as you can't stay a trainee your entire life - you have to get on
and learn stuff yourself; appearing to continually ask questions before
attempting to find the answer yourself is guaranteed to eventually get
up someone's nose.

Those who stuck with it and continued diving in turn became the more
experienced members, and on occasion we now turn to each other and talk
about things which will appear like we're excluding the less experienced
people, or telling them to go find out for themselves. It's worth
remembering that the experienced people, whether on this list, in a
diving club, or anywhere else also have their own lives/mail
systems/whatever to get on with, and can't spend all day every day
holding other people's hands.

We all have to start somewhere, and need to remember that when we have
experience. But, equally, those who are starting out have to remember
that is what they are doing - starting out. Any sort of group with
experience may appear intimidating to new members, whether it's a club
of some sort or a mailing list.

Personally, I think that this list veers into "abusive" territory far,
far less than some others I've been subscribed to.

Graeme