On Tue, 17 Sep 1996, Jeff Otterson/N1KDO wrote:

> How many morons does it take to fill up the piclist with total spam
> unrelated to PICs, or even microcontrollers?  Hmmm.  I could make a list
> (particularly now that I am on it...)

Yes, your presence does seem to be contributing, doesn't it?  BTW, it's
not spam.  G'wan, look it up.

> But more seriously,  why not take the useless martian mathematical
> discussions elsewhere.  If you don't know how to use a LM723, then get the
> )*&&(%^ databook.  If you need a recipe for blackened catfish, DON'T ask in
> the piclist.

I'm afraid you are expecting a much stuffier list than in fact this one
is.  I can offer no useful advice other than that if this annoys you
unbearably you might wish to start your own, stuffier, PIC list.  Mind
you, I sorta doubt that would work very well: many of the most valuable
participants in the "legitimate" discussions here have been in the Martian
discussion as well.  Not at all surprising for a bunch of assembly
programmers, really.

> Maybe Metcalfe is right when he says that the Internet will die this year.

Maybe.  Of course, if you keep predicting dire things, eventually you may
be correct, or close enough to claim that you were (cf. Jeanne Dixon et
al).  This is hardly a new prediction, though the predictors come and go
on a more or less annual basis.

> It will die of hardening of the arteries related to all the cholesterol
> soaked SPAM.

You want to be careful about confusing the colorful with the accurate.
Remember, the true name of all metaphors is "lie".  :-)

> Folks, please, this list is the "PIC microcontroller discussion list."
> Let's keep it that way.

Speaking as one who's been reading and participating in this list for a
while - when did I wander in here, about a year ago? - I feel quite
sufficently qualified to point out that this IS the way the list has
always been.  Refer to comments above about your recourses if you find
this list's culture not to your liking.

> (exasperated)

Why?  Because the list isn't quite what you thought it should be?  Sorry,
but the net, as well as life, is like that.  Often.  One advantage it has
over life is that if it gets to be too much to bear, you can just
unsubscribe.  Without it being a final decision, that is.