Email list wisdom (fwd)

[Dennis R. Preston]

Proud to be one of the 7

7 to post that this group is not about light bulbs and to please take this
discussion to a lightbulb forum

dInIs

>This may strike some as off-topic, but I'm offering it for anyone who
>thinks we need to lighten up.
>
>Peter Mc.
>
>---------- Forwarded Message ----------
>
>Please forgive the satire.  It is not mine, but I thought I'd share it.
>
>How many list members does it takes to change a light bulb?
>
>1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed
>
>14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light
>bulb could have been changed differently
>
>7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs
>
>3 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs
>
>1 to flame the spell checkers
>
>3 to correct spelling/grammar flames
>
>6 to argue over whether it's "lightbulb" or "light bulb" ... another 6 to
>condemn those 6 as stupid
>
>1 industry professional to inform the group that the proper term is "lamp"
>
>3 know-it-alls who claim they were in the industry, and that "light bulb"
>is perfectly correct
>
>7 to post that this group is not about light bulbs and to please take this
>discussion to a lightbulb forum
>
>11 to defend the posting to the group saying that we all use light bulbs
>and therefore the posts are relevant to this group
>
>36 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy
>the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this
>technique and what brands are faulty
>
>5 to post URLs where one can see examples of different light bulbs
>
>4 to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected
>URL.
>
>3 to post about links they found from the URLs that are relevant to this
>group which makes light bulbs relevant to this group
>
>13 to link all posts to date, quote them in their entirety including all
>headers and signatures, and add "Me too"
>
>5 to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot
>handle the light bulb controversy
>
>4 to say "didn't we go through this already a short time ago?"
>
>3 to say "do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about
>light bulbs"
>
>1 to tell a funny story about their beagle and a light bulb
>
>1 group lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start
>it all over again
>
>
>Marianne Salcedo
>Senior Consultant
>Compendia Consulting, Inc.
>1547 West Turner Street
>Allentown, PA 18102 USA
>Tel & Fax 610-439-3718
>Email m.salcedo at rcn.com
>
>
>---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
>
>
>
>*****************************************************************
>Peter A. McGraw       Linfield College        McMinnville, Oregon
>******************* pmcgraw at linfield.edu ************************


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A-740 Wells Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-3099
Fax: (517) 432-2736
preston at msu.edu