Python Origins

[Nathan Gray]

What a rude response to a polite and legitimate question.

Tim May wrote:

> If you are doing research, then you should surely understand that the
> large amount of material already on the Web, and findable with standard
> search engines, is a much better source of information than asking
> people to custom-write material for you. Or to do your searches for you.

Ah yes, this is why the best historians rely on web searches exclusively for
their research.  There's no point in _asking_ people for information.  If
information exists, it will be on the internet!  Talking to experts is foolish
and redundant.

> A handful of minutes spent with Google will yield you far more than
> waiting and waiting for people here to write histories for you.

You see, we're a bunch of arrogant twits who wouldn't bend over to help our
own mothers if they tripped and fell.  What made you think that people in
comp.lang.python would answer questions about Python?  We have better things
to discuss.

> Why are you "doing some research" if you are this clueless?

How dare you seek to educate yourself!?  Impudent wretch!

It's really upsetting how often I've seen this sort of response to a polite
question on this newsgroup lately.  Tell me, what's so terrible with asking a
group of experts for pointers when researching a subject?  It's a perfectly
legitimate and highly effective way to learn about something.  There's plenty
of information out there that hasn't been put on a web page, and the stuff
that _has_ been put online is often out of date or inaccurate.  Information
from the experts -- even if it's simply confirmation that good web resources
exist -- can be invaluable if you care in the least about the accuracy of your
information.

If you weren't going to help why did you even bother to reply?  One of the
great merits of the Python community has always been the willingness of people
on this newsgroup to help others with their questions.    Since you're so
savvy why not just help the guy out instead of fueling up the flamethrower?
--
Nathaniel Gray
n8gray <at> caltech <dot> edu
California Institute of Technology
Computation and Neural Systems