Andrew Warren wrote: >> I know others on the list get similar requests. How do you handle >> them? Are these types of students beyond help? Should I just >> junk the letter and not waste any time with a response? > I usually just give them subscription info for the PICLIST. > They usually don't subscribe. It goes further than just students. Some never grow out of it. I'm currently involved in cartography, and someone on a list asked for sources of maps of their country. They didn't state what area, or what detail, or for what purpose, so I just rattled off about four web sites (all of which could have been eventually found via google anyway). Some of those sites had links to other sites, where he would have likely found what he was looking for. Or, come back with "I can't find anything for area X" in which case I would have give other alternatives. Let's just say he was very displeased. He had only looked at the first two sites, said he found some dead links, and gave up complaining that all I had done was give him four web sites and no help. Which was especially amusing, because it was the last two sites that had most of the help. For some, anything short of handing over the answer on a sliver platter is too little. -- Linux Registered User # 302622 -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics