the use of unix.wizards

[clive at druhi.UUCP]

I'd like to ask the community, as individuals, to do a little
self-questioning about the treatment, as only one example, that the mail
withdrawal issue has had.

To me, personally speaking, this seems to have been:

    a)  Open derision for the person who first brought the issue up -- 
        why, because a 'user' had the temerity to ask for something
	natural, rational, and convenient, which only shortsightnedness 
	in Unix utilities design might have made difficult to implement?
	(Granted, of course, their age, and that it *is* difficult to
	forsee everything a future might consider...) 

    b)  Varying degrees of snide, sarcastic, sophomoric, and unctuous
	replies in Email and on the net to suggestions that this
	should and could be provided.

	Particularly impolite, was the rather olympian detachment presumed 
	by certain parties, and the oh-so-careful 'if you don't know, we
	certainly couldn't tell you, or even reply' attitude.


I can't imagine any form of treatment more likely to stifle creativity.

And apologize completely to those few who wrote interested comments and ideas.


I might put these observations on a ground by allowing that I
have roughly 20 years experience in various forms of electronics
and computer engineering.  My current consulting work has been to
provide a natural language testing enviroment for a particular type of 
large, mostly software, systems.  It works.  I've had enough to do with 
Unix over the years, including kernel code, though haven't noticed this 
anointing me with anything more than one more set of familiarity to use 
in getting something someone else actually needs, done.  I'm sure I, or 
anyone else, will never know everything there is to know about it.
There are more pleasant and interesting things in life.


Clive Steward


P.S.  Grue is a laughing term of self-denigration I often use when
people put me in the position of relative omnipotence because I might 
be aware of a few facts they haven't found out yet.  Or to remind myself,
when the temptation comes, against climbing on the high horse all alone.
Its mythic meaning is appropriate.  Have a good day.