Unfortunately there isn't much I can do about that is there
Actually, there is. You tend to attract flames with your own behavior. In
particular, you have a habit of being insulted when someone merely says
"no, that's wrong" - even when the discussion concerns a technical topic
where facts can be easily and objectively verified.
No one knows everything - not you, not me, not Tristram, no one. Being
told that you're wrong is not an insult. Most of us respond to it by
double-checking our facts, and either supporting our arguments or by
admitting our mistakes. You respond to it by claiming that you're never
wrong - even when the facts of the conversation are easily verifiable
and you are demonstrably incorrect.
For example, I predict that you'll respond to this by making just such
a claim, when usenet archives are easily available that demonstrate the
accuracy of what I'm saying here.
There is some merit to your argument that "no, that's wrong" isn't very
tactful. It could usually be stated more politely, as "with all due res-
pect, I believe you're mistaken" or some such. But programmers as a group
tend to be brief and blunt. It's not intended to be rude or insulting,
it's just how we are. So long as you choose to be insulted by this - and
it *is* a choice - you're going to have a difficult time getting along
with any group of programmers you encounter.
This particular thread will die off sooner or later, but until you learn
how to interact with others without imagining insults and attacks in every
sentence, your behavior will inevitably spark more of the same.
You'll undoubtedly choose to interpret this as an "attack," and respond
with your usual copy-and-pasted response. But the truth is, this post is
intended to be helpful. Clearly, you're not happy with how things usually
turn out for you on usenet (and probably in real life as well) - I'm trying
to help you understand why they turn out the way they do, and how you can
avoid that result.
sherm--
