Is it a pointless post?
I read a
post today on
Slashdot that got me thinking, not the actual post but the response it
generated. The message was basically about how the huge variety of
Linux distributions is harming the take up by business and home users of this
alternative operating system.
As youd expect the usual holier-than-thow quasi list
police was out in force berating the author for posting, in their view, drivel
and or pointless news yet when I last checked there were 111 comments on the
item. Now to my mind while the subject may well be trivial the net effect of the
item generated a huge response so that poses a question, was it a pointless
post?
Interestingly I myself have had the very same accusation
thrown at me a few times over the years and yet the replies in some cases have
gone on for days so I suppose the real question is was this a pointless post? To
my mind it wasnt and I’ll tell you why.
- The
author got what they wanted, a large response to their submission. - The
self appointed egoists got what they wanted, a chance to
flame someone. - The
websites got what they wanted, lots of lovely visitors.
Strikes
me if you see a post that you think is pointless then just ignore it, once you
start responding then you’re just as guilty as those who you are berating in
which case you need to start shouting at yourself! rather than others which
would save a lot of time and tears in the long run.