Do pythons like sugar?

[Steven D. Arnold]

On 1/9/03 2:14 PM, "Carl Banks" <imbosol at vt.edu> wrote:

> Because of this, I try very hard to avoid a presumptuous attitude when
> answering questions, and I would like to request others try to as
> well.  Specifically, I would request that everyone always respect the
> poster's original question.  Replies like, "why are you doing it that
> way, you should do it this way," without any regard to the actual
> question, I find very rude.
>
> Whenever I want to offer alternatives, I'll usually answer the
> original question, if I know the answer, and then offer alternatives.
> If I don't know the answer, I'll say I don't know it.  Sometimes, if
> it's really a bad idea, I'll offer to answer it if the poster really
> wants, but highly suggest a something else.  (And if the poster comes
> back saying, "thanks but no thanks," I'll give him the answer.)  But,
> no matter what, I try to always acknowledge the question.

If all you're saying is "answer the original question in addition to asking
about the overall intent" then I think we're in agreement.  I only disagree
if "respecting the original question" means not asking about the overall
intent.  I agree it's polite to answer the original question as best one
can, but experience shows that posters are often on the wrong track entirely
and would do better to change their approach.

I think the suggestion that a new approach was needed was a stab to
Afanasiy's vain picture of himself as master programmer, and that, not the
responses to his question, is what caused this thread to be more than four
posts long.

steve
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