ebola/crapola

[Charles Platt]

Caryn Swensen (cswensen at metrolink.net) wrote:

: Tell me, Mr. Lindenbach, do you intend to become a professor
: some day? I sincerely hope not, as it seems you don't have the
: desire to teach those who are willing and eager to learn.

The presumptuousness of visitors to this news group amazes me. Speaking as
a visitor myself, it would never occur to me that I could ask a bunch of
half-informed questions and expect highly qualified people to interrupt
their valuable work just to give me answers which I could easily obtain by
READING A BOOK. 

Yes, folks, books do still exist, and I suggest that it might be more
rational, and better mannered, to read up on a subject before bombarding
specialists with questions. Speaking now as a science writer, when I
interview someone in connection with an article that I am writing, the
first thing I do is read the most commonly available source materials
BEFORE I do the interview. This is elementary courtesy, and it also helps
to insure that I don't ask too many dumb, obvious questions. I don't like 
to seem dumb, and I don't like to bother people unnecessarily.

The net works well partly because there is a lot of goodwill. Let's not 
exhaust that goodwill by making unreasonable demands.
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Charles Platt                                   cp at panix.com