[Leica] manners

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

When talking to someone via an email list, you should speak as if you are
going to meet the other people shortly after pushing "send". It's sort of
like cutting someone off in traffic in order to make the light, then
discovering, in the parking lot, that it was your boss that you just cut
off. Always think "could what I am about to do, prove embarrassing in the
near future?" Would I want to defend myself face to face? Would I want to
say these things face to face?

Does the Internet provide a safe haven for abusive practices? I found out
the hard way, numerous times, that the Internet is not as anonymous as one
might think.

So be careful, respect your colleagues, bite your tongue when you are about
to call someone a SOB. Or do it privately so that you don't expose a
thousand other people to your rage, right or wrong.

Quite often, silence is the ultimate statement.

Jim

PS... email filters are wonderful. They allow you to "not" receive email
from chosen people. I have received abusive private email. It takes only
one abusive message. I never hear from that person again. They are forever
filtered to trash. This is another way for silence to manifest itself.
Silence both ways.