offlist hate mail and smart questions (was: Re: problem with psd match)

[/dev/rob0 <rob0@gmx.co.uk>]

On Wednesday 2005-August-31 12:32 GMT, afshin lamei 
<afshinlamei@gmail.com> wrote:
> Go and try to use your brain (if there is any!!) to understand the
> things, instead of teaching others :D
>
> On 8/31/05, /dev/rob0 <rob0@gmx.co.uk> wrote:
> > On Wednesday 2005-August-31 07:04, afshin lamei wrote:
> > > what's the problem?
> >
> > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Three minutes prior to this one, was another:

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: hey!
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 16:59:39 +0430
From: afshin lamei <afshinlamei@gmail.com>
To: /dev/rob0 <rob0@gmx.co.uk>

I'm not kidding, if your brain is not able to understand such a simple
questions, go and try to change it :D

-------------------------------------------------------

This poster was not capable of comprehending numerous things, it seems, 
one of which being why I gave that reply. For the record here is the 
original post in full:

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: problem with psd match
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 16:34:03 +0430
From: afshin lamei <afshinlamei@gmail.com>
To: netfilter@lists.netfilter.org

Hi all,
I'm using the psd (port scan detector) , dropping all packets that
match with psd and it works well with default values. but when I use
the retina port scanner, it says that ports 25 (smtp) and 110 (pop3)
are open. I have not any mail application and my box is not listening
on these ports (netstat -an --inet proves this). all default policies
(iptables -P ) are set to DROP.
what's the problem?
regards
afshin lamei

-------------------------------------------------------

There could be any number of reasons why the scanner might have gotten 
results which seem to be at odds with reality. In fact that number is 
indeterminable, nearly infinite. No information is provided in the post 
which might help narrow down the likely cause.

Why, list members, do I trouble you with this, which was intended as a 
private exchange? I do not suppose that this poster would be 
embarrassed; that would require a greater level of understanding.

I only want to point out to others that the poster might have been 
better suited by reading the link than by banging out a pair of hate 
mails. We're not mind readers here. (Some of us might be; only they 
know who they are. They dare not reveal themselves to us, because we 
would expect them to solve all our problems for us!)

Also: people who follow good methodical debugging procedures 
("scientific method") tend to find they have fewer mysterious issues. 
When you set out all the facts such as you know them, so that someone 
else can take a look, often you will find the answer. My MUA "drafts" 
folder is full of unsent posts!

This was almost 2 weeks ago. As per the .sig below, this is not an 
account I regularly read. Here's another gripe ... many posters are 
more than willing to take from the group's knowledge, but are unwilling 
(or unable) to contribute anything back.

When you post a question you have an implicit obligation to pursue it 
until solved, and to post that solution back to the list, even if the 
solution reveals your foolishness.

I think this list is a little worse than most in that regard. I'm not 
sure why that is. We seem to get a higher than typical share of 
completely clueless posts. It's frustrating to those who are trying to 
help, as we saw back in July. Jason (not sure if he's still here!) got 
annoyed with a poster who not only didn't check the list archives, he 
wasn't reading active threads on the same issue!
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