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From: Ethan Carter <ec1828@somewhere.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Newsgroup etiquette
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:59:53 -0300
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Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> writes:

> Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> writes:
>
>> On 28/03/2025 18:03, Tim Rentsch wrote:
>>
>>> bart <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
>>>
>>>> On 27/03/2025 19:31, Keith Thompson wrote:
>>
>> <OT stuff snipped>
>>
>>>>> And this is *way* off-topic.
>>>>
>>>> That didn't stop you having your say first /then/ declaring it
>>>> as way off-topic!
>>>
>>> I agree with the implied criticism here.
>>
>> Fair comment.  OTOH, a wise man once said that posting on-topic
>> articles is like paying pennies into your account, and posting
>> off-topic articles is like taking out dollars.
>>
>> Over the years Keith has posted many thousands of on-topic articles.
>>
>> That doesn't make OT stuff topical, but it does earn Keith a lot of
>> slack.
>
> I have the opposite reaction.  Certainly Keith is well known and
> generally highly regarded in the newsgroup.  But it is precisely
> because of that status that he should hold himself to a higher
> standard than others (and the same is true for other similarly
> situated newsgroup participants).  Casual posters see what leaders
> do and think because a leader does it the behavior is okay.  The
> best people should try to set a good example, not be granted an
> exception for bad behavior.

This may hold true in kindergarten.  If Keith is highly regarded here,
then he is already a good example and an occasional off-topic is not
going to change my perspective of him.  Posting an off-topic post is not
bad behavior.  The very fact that he is highly regarded might even imply
that his off-topic could be of interest to others here---the psychology
of people here (if you will) likely has similarities to that of Keith.

Ignoring a thread is cheaper than not letting a good contributor discuss
his off-topic.

When casual posters make the mistake of thinking that they will get the
same treatment, the USENET will discipline them like it's been doing it
since its birth.