Re: [gentoo-user] *** STOP misuing this list for personal attacks ***

[Tom Wijsman <TomWij@gentoo.org>]

On Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:48:46 -0400
Tanstaafl <tanstaafl@libertytrek.org> wrote:

> On 3/22/2014 5:06 AM, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Helmut Jarausch wrote:
> >> Please don't use this list for personal quarrels of any kind!
> >>
> >> If someone says something you don't like - just ignore it/him.
> >>
> >> If someone insults you, reply by personal mail only.
> >>
> >> If someone says something which is*technically*  wrong,
> >> just correct the facts without getting personal.
> 
> > I don't read every message but who is personally attacking someone?
> 
> He's probably referring to my factual statement that Tom was/is
> acting like an arrogant prick.

This is technically wrong, we're all acting as arrogant pricks; but by
picking out a certain individual, this could be perceived as a personal
attack to that certain individual. However, that should not withhold
that this is just part of a factual statement.

This correction of mine also doesn't hold because if this could be
perceived as a personal attack against us all; then, to an extent,
perhaps we're all not acting as arrogant pricks. We are just
mis-perceiving things; and as a result of that, misunderstanding.

But maybe, under the 'profit motive', we could all be being arrogant?

http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/272557/focus=272818

Sometimes, such 'profit motive's conflict, one man's profit is another
man's cost; this reminds me of how the real world works, if one
musician gets more fortune and fame, that goes at the cost of another.
However, is that musician therefore arrogant for earning lots of money?

Not necessarily; as you can see, a lot of these musicians spend excess
money on good causes (education centers, countries that had a natural
disaster, people with a costly to cure disease, the homeless, ...).

Now, you could ask, why doesn't that maybe arrogant musician send
everyone some money; well, it could cause maybe arrogant people to
benefit from the money without working for it. Well, both can be
perceived as being arrogant, or not being arrogant at all...

People's time and money is limited; so, it is better well spent.

This reminds me of John Covico's e-mail footer; it goes like this:

    "Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.
    The question is: How do you spend it?"

> Lots of people confuse factual statements with personal attacks.

As demonstrated above, the confusion is easily made.

> That said, I've never been know for being tactful... ;)

But what have you been known for? :)

-- 
With kind regards,

Tom Wijsman (TomWij)
Gentoo Developer

E-mail address  : TomWij@gentoo.org
GPG Public Key  : 6D34E57D
GPG Fingerprint : C165 AF18 AB4C 400B C3D2  ABF0 95B2 1FCD 6D34 E57D