Re: [exim] Don't be rude to people asking questions

Asking a question here is sort of like this example where I will
substitute asking directions to make a point.

Q. Excuse me, can you give me directions to the Tech Museum in San Jose?

A. You don't want to go there. The Exploratorium in San Francisco is
much better.

Q. But I'm meeting a group of people and we already have tickets to go
there. Can you give me directions?

A. Well, that was a mistake. You all would have had a much better time
at the Exploratorium instead. Maybe you all can sell your tickets and go
to the Exploratorium?

Q. Maybe that would have been better but we have Tech Museum tickets and
the rest of the group is waiting there for me and I just need directions
to get there.

A. Well, did you look it up on Google maps?

Q. No - perhaps I should have, but I didn't. I just need to know how to
get there. Can you give me directions?

A. Well if you had looked it up on Google maps you wouldn't need to be
here asking for directions.

Q. I know that. But I didn't look it up, I don't have a computer with
me, and I just need directions about how to get there.

A. You know if you had a Palm cell phone you can download Google Maps
and then you would know how to get there without having to burden people
like me with your questions about asking directions. You have a
responsibility to at least try to figure it out on your own before you
pull over to ask directions. And if you had decided to go to the
Exploratoruim in the first place you wouldn't need to know how to get to
the Tech Museum. It's people like you who go to the wrong museums and
don't look up where you are going on Google maps, and don't have a PDA
cell phone that ruin life for everyone else. I have deemed you unworthy
of an answer.

Q. Thanks for NOTHING! All I wanted was an answer about how to get
somewhere and all I get is a lecture.

A. Hey, I'm just trying to help! It seems to me that the "burden of
humility" should be on the person asking for assistance, not the person
providing it. I think that your response above is actually more arrogant
than what you are complaining about. I've been to both places and I
don't think it's wise to go to the Tech Museum. You should get offended
when someone who has been down that road before tries to tell you that
the premise behind your question is ill founded. If it's not, can't you
simply ignore the response instead of arguing with it? If you don't want
my help you shouldn't have asked for it.