Re: Reading too much into it?

I agree. XP may just be bits moving around but it can have a strong effect on participation. I don't downvote newbies unless they do something particularly heinous. Open source can be difficult; especially when self-taught. And code is sometimes difficult to search for. Beginners can have weird gaping holes in their knowledge that one kind monk can solve in a jiffy: I didn't know perldoc existed for the first year I was writing Perl.

The ASAP, though, isn't a command as much as it is a bit rude to use on strangers in a volunteer situation. Say you're kicking back with some friends, tinkering on gear, sipping drinks, talking shop and news, and someone you've never met bursts in and says, "I need help, now!" Unless they're bleeding from a head wound, the natural reaction is, "Get bent," or "Why don't you walk out and come back in and try that again?"

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Re^2: Reading too much into it?
by ELISHEVA (Prior) on Jun 20, 2009 at 21:19 UTC

I like the image of us sitting round drinking beers and shooting the breeze. It captures the spirit of the CB well!

I sometimes think one of the odd "gapping holes" is the culture of Perl Monks itself. A while back there was a poster who always signed off "Back at you!". I could tell that he/she was trying to be friendly, but it irritated me, given that the posters' questions were usually very basic and the people responding to him often had more expertise than many could hope to acquire in a lifetime.

And yet I was unwilling to downvote and saw the irritation as my issue, not his/hers. So many on line programming forums are filled with question and answers equally inane. I grant you, a quick look around the monastery ought to make someone see that this is a place of a different sort. But even that requires figuring out what that wild array of links in the sidebar really means. It is all a bit overwhelming the first time (or first few times) one visits.

Best, beth

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