From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fac41,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: f43e6,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public X-Google-Thread: 1108a1,5da92b52f6784b63 X-Google-Attributes: gid1108a1,public X-Google-Thread: ffc1e,a48e5b99425d742a X-Google-Attributes: gidffc1e,public From: Bertrand Meyer Subject: Manners (was Re: Papers on the Ariane-5 crash and Design by Contract) Date: 1997/03/24 Message-ID: <3336F0A4.5656AEC7@eiffel.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 228131518 References: <332B5495.167EB0E7@eiffel.com> <332D113B.4A64@calfp.co.uk> <5gm8a6$2qu$2@news.irisa.fr> <3332BE49.8F9@lmtas.lmco.com> <33330FE5.3F54BC7E@eiffel.com> <333438B5.ABD322C@eiffel.com> <33343D32.237C228A@eiffel.com> <33343EE3.7DE14518@eiffel.com> Organization: Interactive Software Engineering Inc. Newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.object,comp.software-eng,comp.programming.threads,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-03-24T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Robert Dewar wrote: > Well there seems to be no way to prevent a few nitwits from > sounding off, > but you don't have to listen to them. Rather than refrain from > participating, everyone should learn how to setup kill files, > filters etc to just remove people whose contributions have a net > negative worth to you. Virtually all newsreaders have this > capability. No, no, it's not that simple. What you write is applicable to the crazies and hate-mongerers. My complaint was about the case of someone who sounds reasonable (probably is), makes sensible arguments (you may think he is wrong, even dead wrong, but he is worth listening to and answering) - and suddenly loses his good manners and starts throwing invectives at you. Then killfiles and the like won't do the job, if only the person may have gained some credibility, and may in fact deserve it. I apologize for using bandwidth for such meta-comments; it seems inevitable that once in a while we have to spend a little time (a *little* time) on the terms of the debate rather than the debate itself, which remains the only goal. -- Bertrand Meyer, President, ISE Inc., Santa Barbara (California) 805-685-1006, fax 805-685-6869, - ftp://ftp.eiffel.com Visit our Web page: http://www.eiffel.com (including instructions to download Eiffel 4 for Windows)