Re: "What exactly are you trying to do here?"

On Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:20:26 -0000 (UTC), Cursitor Doom Gave us:

See the farewell episode of Mythbusters?

A lot of folks are "trying this at home" it seems.

Remember "Coffee is hot" and if you scald your groin with a cup that doesn't contain that warning, you can sue!

Gotta add a ?Yes!? to your comments, Chris.

1. If you think there?s a better answer to his question, then a) ANSWER HIS QUESTION-- as posed, then b) add ?But it might be easier to...?

1. If you think he might be hair-brained and hurt himself, a) ANSWER HIS QUESTION, then b) add ?But you should be careful because...?

2. If you think not enough information is given to let you know what he is trying to do, a) ANSWER HIS QUESTION, then b) add ?But if you give us some more information maybe we could...?

1. If you think he might be up to something criminal, likely not. Of the billions of messages that flow through USENET, how many times have you heard of someone gaining knowledge for dastardly purpose? Your fear does not constitute a need to launch a vigilante effort, no matter how humble. He just wants to know how to do something.

2. If in doubt: a) ANSWER HIS QUESTION. Unless explicitly asked, he probably doesn?t want your help with the overall plan, just help finding the right fastener, or such. b) Just because you want to know what he?s doing doesn?t make it your business.

I, personally, try to keep threads I begin with a question from wandering too much (how easy do threads get hijacked or just segued into the big USENET Void?). I have ended some posts with ?If you are not going to answer the question, please don?t respond.? Not that kept some from doing so...

1. Just ANSWER HIS QUESTION.

How much is he paying?

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Ha! Not that is a valid response to any question!

Of course it is. The question is, "Would you like to work on his problem?"

The thing that the super-entitled folks appear to be missing is that we're all free men and equals here, and can say what we like.

Generally I like helping people, but I'm not giving advice on a project that might involve me in liability (or even possibly criminality). We've had people here who really sounded like they were trying to make IEDs. Answer their questions? Suuuuuuurrrrrre.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

No, of course not: it is a valid response to a DEMAND. The normal way communication happens is with feedback, including questions and clarifications. But, this wasn't in response to a question. It was in response to a demand, and pointed out that the demand was unreasonable. WHOOSH.

If you're too mean-spirited to help out someone in need for free, with something that doesn't cost you anything but 2 minutes of your time, then what are you even doing here?

Yes, and you are also free to decline to answer any question if you're unhappy with it. No one is *forcing* anyone to do anything here.

Do you *seriously* believe members of ISIS with all their legion of graduate students from Western universities need tips from folks here on how to build bombs?? Sheesh.

I'm 100% with you on that point, Dave. I too find this exasperating. As soon as you explain the background, any focus you had hoped to maintain gets instantly swept away in a plethora of vaguely related anecdotes and funny stories. After that happens you only rarely get back on track.

On 11/03/2016 08:16, DaveC wrote: [...]

I have had someone ask me (on IRC, from behind 7 proxies) about demodulating data from a magnetic tape head. After the regulars asked him for some background information it turns out he was building a skimmer for credit cards or ATM cards. He said it was alright because he wasn't going to do anything bad with them himself, he was just selling the skimmers to other people! Maybe one day your card will pass through a skimmer that he built. I don't know whether he ever got the demodulation working.

If the OP of a specific thread specifies at the time that they only want answers to the exact question that they wrote and nothing else, then I might comply (i.e. not answer at all, if I think there is a better solution to their problem). Even then I would consider replying for the benefit of other readers with a similar problem to solve. In general I think it is presumptuous for anyone but the OP of that thread to decide whether the OP will be interested in alternative solutions to their problem, and anyway the OP is not the only person reading most threads and others may find digressions interesting.

that's the price of free advice...

Well, if your only response is insults, how about you? I've been helping pe ople here for well over a decade, as you can easily verify with a few minut es' Googling. You haven't.

Except the OP and his allies, such as yourself. The rest of us have seen that trick before. If you don't like my posts, kil lfile me and I'll magically disappear. (The wonders of 1980s technology.)

This is an informal discussion group, and doesn't belong to anyone. Particu larly not to people who get their knickers into a twist when not everybody fawns over them.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

One Femtocent.

And did you expect a quid-pro-quo each time as you clearly imply here - either money or information back in exchange?

Jeez, you only have to ignore the 'offending' post, FFS. It takes no effort whatsoever on your part if you decide for whatever reason not to help someone. Sheesh.

Fine, if you invariably expect something in return for your precious time, like Phil Hobbs. But the spurious chatter could just as easily be kept for *after* the OP has got the answer he/she requested.

...said the least knowledgeable, least helpful 'contributor' here of all time....

*plonk*

** My god - so we two halfwits here.

** Impossible if when the question makes no sense. ** Only an reckless idiot would do the.

Guess who I mean ?

** Self contradictory.

** Illegal does not equal criminal.

There are laws relating to electrical safety, use of the RF spectrum and installing AC supply wiring that ought not be broken.

** We are entitled to know what that "something" is.

** If the question makes no sense it has no meaning - so it has no answer.

Are you so retarded YOU cannot SEE that?

** See above - you are a retard.

** Yes, like many others you try to mico-manage the answers.

Makes you a control freak AND a retard.

** Kindly bugger off.

.... Phil

Probably less. The idea that some random dip**** on Usenet can go round issuing orders like this is pretty funny actually. I like to be helpful, but not because some jerk tells me I have to.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs 
Principal Consultant 

For some reason this thread seems to be bringing out the worst of the nut- case element here. PLEASE DO *NOT* FEED THE TROLLS.

On Fri, 11 Mar 2016 22:37:13 -0000 (UTC), Gunther Heiko Hagen Gave us:

You just posted a response to a troll, dufus.