> > >You did miss (e) - the vast majority who belong to a list but
> >say nothing. Ever. What could they contribute ? We'll never
> >know I suppose
>
> So then, how do you know they are even there????  :-)

Oh, they're out there. I believe membership is > 2000, and
frequent posters maybe 1/10th of that, infrequent posters another
1/10th. That still leaves 1600 ? I've talked to people off-list who
actually have just the smallest interest in micros and electronics
and probably "think" they don't have anything to say. And posting
does put you front-and-centre before your peers, perhaps some
people just aren't comfortable or confident to do that. But it's
largely immaterial why people are on the list, they just are, and
they have the accepted and undeniable right to say as much or
as little as they wish to as often or as rarely as they wish to

> > >There are some people who do not acknowledge or outwardly
> >appreciate the help they asked for. In which case, as altruistic
> >as I am, I'd say to myself then why bother helping this person in
> >the future ? Imagine what would happen in real life if no one ever
> >said "Thanks" for anything.
>
> So is a general "Thanks to everyone who responded." sufficient?

Sure, and I didn't intend for it to sound like it was ego-massaging
on anyone's behalf. Nor going out of my way to give anyone the
cold shoulder. It's just life in general, y'know. If I think something is
unacceptable or not up to scratch - "in my opinion" - then I'll say or
do (or not do) something. And it doesn't necessarily have to involve
a lot of thought, malicious or otherwise

> A note to them that:  "Sorry, your answer was not really a hell
> of a lot of help!" ?  Send a note like that to a person who is not
> very sure of himself to begin with, and you guarantee he will never
> try again!:-)

Absolutely, a little diplomacy can avoid giving someone the hump.
The old saying "what goes around comes around"  springs to mind

> Bottom line: (IMHO) There are a lot of helpful people on this list,
> and you are one of them.  So just because you do not get thanked
> each time does not mean that there is not a LOT -- and I sincerely
> mean a LOT -- of appreciation. :-)
>
> John

Well, I appreciate that and everyone who helps me. I also appreciate
those that I help in turn. They make me ask myself what do I know,
what little bit extra could I learn to what I already know to help more,
and so on. Hopefully we both come out of it better off

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and hug a tree ;-)

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