Re: qualitative decline of xsl-list questions

While I do understand the impulse to grump at people who seem to be asking lazy questions on XSL-List I'd like to suggest that we take a calm approach to them. Some of the flailing beginners we help out become experts helping others in an astonishingly short time. 

I do have a form letter that I send to people who seem to be asking questions without doing any homework (or without telling us about it when they ask). I send it off-list, mostly to avoid embarrassing the person, and partially so that you aren't all pestered with the note every time I send it. 

I suggest that when someone asks a "please do my thinking for me" or "I haven't a clue" type question that list members:

  - provide a short helpful answer and point the requester to a good
    book or class; or
  
  - send an off-list message to me asking me to send the "dumb question"
    message; or

  - simply refrain from responding. 

I'll send my "How to get good answers from XSL-List message to them. 

Thanks. 

-- Tommie

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B. Tommie Usdin                        mailto:btusdin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com    
17 West Jefferson Street                           Phone: 301/315-9631 
Suite 207                                    Direct Line: 301/315-9634 
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285 
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