Date:         Mon, 26 Jun 2000 11:26:46 -0600
Reply-To:     Jack Hamilton <JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jack Hamilton <JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM>
Subject:      Re: Newbies too lazy to read manuals -- was ==> Re: converting
              "pure"
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

"John Iwaniszek" <jiwaniszek@NC.RR.COM> wrote:

>If you do not want to help this young lady

I believe you are speaking beyond the limits of your data.

>then keep your mouths shut

Not exactly a polite way to put it.

>and let people who do respond.
>
>This attitude is intolerable in an intellectual community such as ours
>and it is certainly unprofessional,

From what I've read, it's pretty much the standard in mathematics.
Blood feuds aren't uncommon in other fields, either - remember the
biologist who decided to name a new discovery after one of his
professional opponents?  It was a type of louse found on a skunk.

>not to mention inhumane.

Agreed.

>This is the most important part of what I have to say:  These two or
>three individuals are not representative of the majority of participants
>in this forum.  If you receive a message in response to a question that
>is less than polite you should not feel that you are at fault or have
>some how trangressed.

Probably not.  On the other hand, you shouldn't completely eliminate
the possibility that the original question was in some way offensive -
that does happen, you know.