[OT] A short Usenet primer (was: How to uncompress a VOB file? (Win XP))

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

Mark Lawrence wrote:

> On 14/08/2012 00:00, Xantipius wrote:
>> On Aug 13, 3:40 pm, Mark Lawrence <breamore... at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>> On 13/08/2012 11:18, Xantipius wrote:
>>>> subj
>>>
>>> Either
>>>
>>> a) write some code and when and if it fails give us a small code snippet
>>> that demonstates the problem with the complete traceback.
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> b) state how much you are willing to pay for someone here to come up
>>> with a solution for you.
>>
>> Mark, in regard your last remark:
>> it's just a recreation for me. Nothing more in it.
>> I like to put some weird and useless problems before myself.
> 
> Is it […] normal practice to communicate with yourself via a public
> mailing list/news group?

No, it is not.  However, I would not expect too much from a Google Groups 
user who posts under pseudonym without a reasonable message body.  Probably 
they are not even aware that they are on Usenet, thinking that they are 
posting to a Web forum instead.

> When did you seek my permission to call me by my forename?

AIUI, in English (which is not my native language), it is customary that 
peers call themselves by their first names (in other languages, too).  This 
does not necessarily indicate familiarity.  We are all peers on/in this 
mailing list/newsgroup working on different aspects of the same problem: 
learning how to write good Python programs.

So you should not be surprised to be called and referred to by your first 
name or nick name.  In fact, on Usenet it is usually considered an 
appreciation of the person so addressed *not* to use their last name.  If 
you are called by someone by your last name only, you probably did that 
someone very wrong (or encountered a hypersensitive entity, or you are being 
trolled; depends).

However, communication that really only concerns two people should be 
limited to private e-mail (which is what the mandatory address header fields 
are for).  (I think this one should be public, for other newbies.)

HTH.  And trim your quotes to the relevant minimum, please.

-- 
PointedEars

Please do not Cc: me. / Bitte keine Kopien per E-Mail.