Re: Missing help entries in 2.4.6pre5

[Eric S. Raymond]

Alan Cox <[e-mail]>:
> > You're a bit irritated.  That's good.  I *want* people who don't write
> > help entries for their configuration symbols to be a bit irritated.
> > That way, they might get around to actually doing what they ought to.
> 
> Umm yes so you irritate people and you end up in their killfiles,
> that doesn't strike me as stunningly productive

That's why it's important to be irritating but not obnoxious.  The
difference is that between reminding people that there is work to be done
and being insulting about it.  Thus, I post lists of symbols for which
there is missing help, but I don't cast aspersions on the people who
haven't come through yet (however tempting that sometimes seems).

I also find it helpful to be up front about *why* I'm being irritating,
just as I'm doing now.  When people understand that it's professional
rather than personal, they don't tend to killfile me.
-- 
		<a href="http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/">Eric S. Raymond</a>

"To disarm the people... was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
        -- George Mason, speech of June 14, 1788