Please? When someone new comes along to the forum, NO MATTER HOW STUPID THEIR INITIAL QUESTION MAY BE, or if they leave their caps lock on, can we please not trash them from the very first response? Give them a little time to prove what idiots they are, OK? Treat people with the respect that you would feel you deserve if you suddenly discovered a problem of this magnitude and wanted to find out more? OK? We're "the experts" in a lot of people's eyes, and they come to us for info? Right? Let's not turn them off immediately cause they sound like 8 year olds? OK? Like it or not, gang, we're ALL in this together.

Sorry, I'm just in a bad mood today...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 28, 1999

Answers

I agree! Too easy to turn them off if you scream "stupid" before they have full comprehension.

-- sam (we're@theend.com), January 28, 1999.

pshannon-

Thanks.

-- not gonna say (relativenewbie@kindaroughout there.com), January 28, 1999.

Thanks, pshannon.

Imagine, everyone, just starting to realize now all the things there are to do. Where to start? What to do first? If we want to keep panic mode down, we can do what we are here for anyway...share ideas and URLs....I have been here a long time and just now started posting, just because I am so intimidated by some of you. You know so much and I know so little.

So far, I have gotten nothing but positive responses. Let's continue that with the newbies. Y2K is scary enough without being flamed by asking innocent questions. These people need our help. And y'all have SO much to give. This place is the BEST!!

Thanks...Blessings...Mercy

-- Mercy (prepare@now.com), January 28, 1999.

Thanks pshannon,

Sign up now for the "Y2K Yourdonite Teacher Corps" -- enroll yourself.

The traffic is only going to increase, especially with the "new" government disinformation policies. Time to hold as many hands as possible.

Any time you can provide the links to older threads instead of telling them to "just go look," the better off they'll be. And all of us.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 28, 1999.

Yep you're of course right, I think the problem is that we all stress out occassionally and may put foot in mouth in BOLD CAPS without really thinking. Thanks for the reminder.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 28, 1999.

Thank you for sticking up for me with the whole CAPS thing. I figured it was the best way to here a lot of responses. I have just recently started looking into this whole Y2K thing and from what I am reading it is quite frightening.

I guess the hardest thing I am having to believe is that the Government keeps warning us it is goiong to be alright...yet government agencies have been alerting the National Guard and telling us what we can do to prepare. Are they really sure everything is going to be ALRIGHT? It is scarey if you ask me. Well, anyway I appreciate your comments and feel free to write back..

Thanks again,

Phil

-- PMM (grute22@yahoo.com), January 28, 1999.

Thanks shannon for posting this, as a newbie I am often intimidated by aggressive responses, I like the fact that there are so many different opinions and views of those posting and hate to see anyone "shot down" This sight can be addicting.

-- mlbanks (mlbanks@hotmail.com), January 28, 1999.

Good for you, pshannon, look what a nice thing you did! Maybe you should get in a bad mood more often. If a troll rears its ugly head in this thread, let's just ignore it.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), January 28, 1999.

Phil -- and any one else for that matter -- people in the government are wondering how Y2K will play out, just like the rest of us. They may have more information than anyone here has-- even a lot more-- but that particular piece of information is not available. At any price. To anyone.

Naturally they're setting up contingency plans. Who wouldn't? Many on this forum are too. Will the plans be effective? Tune in next year.

pshannon -- well put.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), January 28, 1999.

Been here awhile, since July I guess. I've seen several newbies who are now indispensible in providing links and analysis. We've got to give these folks some room to grow. I was caught by the rich woman with a chauffer, but you know, I'm gonna give anyone who asks without flaming my opinion and advice. We all started somewhere.

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), January 28, 1999.

I was a good girl today, I digged-up old threads in the archives for the newbies. Please feel free to add hotlinks to this thread below, maybe it could evolve into a sort of duct-tape FAQ.

Help for people new to this forum

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 28, 1999.

Well, S**t, I ain't no newbie" and Paul Milne ain't no newbie and we still get tramped on. Any newbies that can't take it here on a innocent BB, and the different flavors of the posters. better just move on. Here is where you will get the info, and it won't be watered down. Sometimes the truth will hurt, but only for a moment. At this stage of Y2K it will only be the facts and nothing else. Act on your own accord.

-- ~~ (~~@~~.com), January 28, 1999.

-- ~~ (~~@~~.com),

It's also all about community. Of the digital and physical kind. With some respect, a reluctance to initially flame, and control of the cyper "mouthpiece" we can all help one another "get it" and get it together.

Diane

(Is there such a thing as "cybersoap" to wash out dirty digital mouths?)

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 31, 1999.