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Date:	Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:26:49 -0400
From:	Christopher Faylor <cgf-use-the-mailinglist-please AT cygwin DOT com>
To:	cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Subject:	Re: Stack Overflow versus the Cygwin mailing lists (Was: prefork error : couldn't create pipe process trackerWin32 error 161)
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On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 04:19:02PM +0000, Adam Dinwoodie wrote:
>Chris Faylor wrote:
>>[I see the same problem posted on stackoverflow.  I'll never understand
>>why people don't just go to the place where they downloaded the
>>software for help first]
>
>(I only just spotted this thread from cgf's linking to it; I suspect I
>missed the original due to being AFK for Christmas.)
>
>I suspect the reason is threefold:
>
>1.  The required effort from hitting a problem to asking for help is
>lower on SO than on the Cygwin mailing lists, particularly if you
>already have a SO account set up.
>
>2.  SO is set up to be tolerant of lazy questions -- what would earn me
>being ignored or referred to the list archives here gets a complete
>answer on SO, because the complete answer earns more points.  Compare
>the Cygwin lists page, which states "This may seem like we're
>discouraging questions.  Well, you are right..."
>
>3.  SO makes a point of being friendly and civil, and works to maintain
>that; see, for example, the "Summer of Love".[0] The Cygwin lists tend
>much more to the traditional hacker "cut-through-the-bullshit
>communications style that is natural to people who are more concerned
>about solving problems than making others feel warm and fuzzy."[1]
>
>[0]:
>http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2012/07/kicking-off-the-summer-of-love/
>[1]: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#keepcool
>
>I don't think either is "wrong" or "bad", and I'm not advocating any
>change.  I just think that they're each appropriate for what they're
>trying to do, and as such we're going to continue to see questions in
>both places.

I obviously phrased that "I'll never understand" idle musing wrong.  I
do understand why people do what they do but I find the "I'm looking for
my keys here because the light is better" type of mentality to be very
counterproductive.  The net is full of bad and outdated advice about
Cygwin.  I hate seeing misinformation propagated, whatever the reason.

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