[Python-Dev] Python-dev signal-to-noise processing question (original) (raw)

Steven D'Aprano steve at pearwood.info
Fri Jul 23 06:11:21 CEST 2010

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:59:32 am Ben Finney wrote:

Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> writes: > We don't need to make excuses for why we don't give the answer > here. It's enough to give the reason -- it's off-topic for this > list, which is about the development of Python. That and a pointer > to the right list is, in my opinion, all we need to say. We don't > need to sugar coat it -- we're all adults here.

That's fine for people who already feel they are part of this particular community. The concern, as I understand it from earlier in the thread, is the regular only-one-opportunity-at-a-first-impression response given to someone new to this community, who clearly doesn't yet know the mores and expectations.

I'm not suggesting that we need to be rude. But we can give them the respect of starting off by treating them according to the mores and expectations of our community, rather than by assuming that they will immediately take offence or be frightened off, or by immediately getting defensive about the fact that this isn't a beginner's list. We have nothing to be ashamed of for wanting to keep this list for dev related issues, why make excuses for it?

In other words, keep doing what we've been doing for as long as I've been subscribed to this list: answer politely but firmly that this is the wrong list, point them to the correct place, and, if the mood strikes you, give a brief answer to the question that doesn't invite a long discussion. I think that's fair and respectful.

-- Steven D'Aprano

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