[DGD] Recursion in recompile(), is this correct?

[Stephen Schmidt]

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004, Robert Forshaw wrote:
> Or you could exercise your right not to answer my question.

That's what I've been doing up until now.

> By asking here I'm saving time.

You're saving your own time. You're doing it at the expense of
my time and that of every other reader of this list. I am in
the habit of at least skimming every post on this list because
I sort-of-maintain a piece of software which is discussed on
this list. Until such time as I conclude that your posts are not
worth my time to read, which I haven't quite yet, you're taking
up my reading time. Even after that, you're taking up the time
it requires me to download and delete your messages, which
I can't (easily) block if I don't want to receive them. My
recourse is to quit the group, which would damage the value
of the list to people with Melville questions. If people
decide the ratio of valuable posts to stupid posts is
excessive, and thereby quit the group, then the group will
eventually be destroyed. I've seen that happen on other
lists and wouldn't want to see it happen here.

If you're unaware that you're taking up our time with your
questions, you're ignorant; if you're aware of it, you're
obnoxious. Either conclusion is not to your credit.

That said, I concur with Par. The time's not a huge deal,
some of your posts have had good questions, and the real
problem here is your own - you're making yourself look
lazy or obnoxious or both in front of virtually every
person in the world who can answer DGD questions for you.
This is probably a poor strategy on your part. We give you
the credit of assuming that you're unaware that you are
having this effect. Now you're aware. Either your behavior
will change or it won't.

> The alternative is to search the mailing list archives
> which would usually take longer...

Cry me a river. What do you think the archive is there for,
so that everyone like you can ignore it? The time you'd
spend looking through the archive would be greatly rewarded
by what you'd learn doing it. That would then enable you to
ask only intelligent questions on this group, which in turn
would give you a reputation as someone smart, hardworking,
and considerate, which would help you get assistance from
the various DGD experts here. Presuming that the latter is,
at some stage, your goal.

Steve


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