Date:         Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:50:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      A Friday Comment On Responses To Questions
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 Some time back someone posted a tongue in cheek listing of all the type of
responses you might get to a question like "How many list members does it
take to change a light bulb?".  One of the answers was something like "42 to
tell about their experiences changing light bulbs".  Recently I seem to be
seeing many responses to serious questions that fall into that category,
responses that may be on topic but provide no usable information to the list
member needing help or information.  So let me make this suggestion.  First,
when a question is posed to the list, READ THE QUESTION and understand it
before jumping to the keyboard.  We all see many to many responses where the
responder obviously didn't pay any attention to the original message, like
when the original message states clearly that the question is about an '81
AC but the answer could only apply to a WBX. Second, and the reason I put on
my Nomex and posted this, if you don't have an answer to the question posed
don't clog the archives with you anecdotes about something that may be
related but doesn't help answer the original question.  Now I realize that
many of the questions that generate  a bunch of responses are
troubleshooting questions and describe problems that could be caused by
obscure malfunctions or combinations of problems. In those cases you may
well be helping.  But when a new list member is simply asking something like
'which fuse powers the radio?' twelve responses about the fuse problems in a
'65 Spitfire don't help the list member with a dead radio.  If you do have a
piece of wisdom to pass on to the list (only vaguely related to the original
question) then start a new post with a new subject line.  Those searching
the archives in the future will thank you.
Now I duck and give thanks that I have a "Firewall" on my computer.....