> do not stray away from the subject of the post to other aspects

Personally, I find the way that PICList topics "drift" to be part of =20
the "charm" of the list, as long as the drift stays within a =20
reasonable cone of interest.  There are enough forums where someone =20
can ask a question, and noone without the answer responds, and when =20
someone who does have an answer responds, the topic is over.  Bleh.

I'm getting pretty tired of the number of times that PICList topics =20
end up discussing Olin and his style of response, though.  This is a =20
two sided street; yes, it would all go away if Olin (and anyone like =20
him) became a warm and fuzzy bunny capable of treating questions as if =20
they all came from fragile egos that needed careful nurturing to =20
become useful list contributers.  I think by now that we can conclude =20
that this won't happen.  It would also go away if Everyone Else (many =20
of whom Ought To Know Better) declined to chime in...

I could do a Pythonesque skit:  Old granddad is telling a story when =20
out slips an unfortunate politically incorrect epithet for <xxx>.  An =20
<xxx> is present.   Suddenly there is a large round of cliched and =20
awkward apologies and explanation ("Some of our best friends are =20
<xxx>", etc.)  This dies down after a bit, and granddad does the whole =20
"now where was I" (reminders occur.)  The story continues.  Another =20
(perhaps different) epithet slips out, and the scene repeats, =20
essentially identical.  Repeat.   Repeat...  In the end, the story has =20
taken too long to tell, the <xxx> is more uncomfortable than if they =20
only had granddad's personality to deal with, and innocent bystanders =20
are ... nonplussed.

BillW

--=20
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