RE: [Leica] The chip on Creek Johnson's shoulder

["Jorg Willems" <jorg@mindspring.com>]

I think most of us will agree with Barney, at least I hope so.  I am on the
LUG (mainly but not always lurking) for over 2 years now.  Occasionally I
have become so angry that I wrote something that I have regret later.  This
was in response to some IMHO obnoxious and presumptuous comments.
To avoid embarrassing myself too much I try to wait a day and read it again
before I click 'Send'.

I also realize that it takes special skills to transcribe from a pleasantly
humorous situation in person to a similar in spirit when one is writing.
You don't see the smile in their eyes and the whole body language that
communicates:  I'm just joking.
Also, some of us use English as their second language.  Things that are
funny and normal in German (my first language) or in Finnish (my other
second language) are offensive in English or the other way around.  The
(funny?) observation that nothing divides Britain and America more than
their common language is quite real.  Some of my British friend's dark jokes
that are funny to me are not funny at all to my American friends.
Last year I read a book about body language.  It talked about the
differences of German and American body language and it made a lot of sense
to me.  It gave me an idea why some of the things that I am experiencing in
the USA are normal here but a no-no in Germany (at least 20 years ago).  For
example, in Germany it used to be very rude (perhaps it still is?) to
whisper into somebody's ear when other people are around but it is totally
acceptable in the US.  The book explains why that is.

Why all this rambling?  Let's try to follow Barney's advise and try to be
sensitive to the feelings of others.  If it happens that we are offended by
what other had to say (better: write) let's give him or her the benefit of
the doubt.  Perhaps it was just (unintentionally) poor language or we just
discovered another culture gap.  Despite the use of poor language and
discovering culture gaps it seems to me that some of us can't stand NOT to
be RIGHT and go on and on to defend their point of view.  What's the big
deal of always being right?  If you feel that you have the more correct
facts present them and go on.  Don't insult our intelligence by repeating
your point over and over again.  If we have to or want to make a choice it
will be based on our own perception and not yours.

Come to think of it, we are ALL right when it comes to the pleasure of using
our Leicas.  Some of us more and some of us less ....

Jörg ... who is ALWAYS right ;-)


From:	Barney Quinn
Sent:	Saturday, March 06, 1999 9:35 AM
Subject:	Re: [Leica] The chip on Creek Johnson's shoulder


... snip ...

I don't think that freedom of speech was even intended to be a
justification for rudeness, abuse, or simple bad manners.

... snip ...

It ain't what you say, as the saying goes, it's the way what you say it.
I think that what we write and how we write it says something significant
about each of us as both humans and as artists. A little sensitivity to
the feelings of others is one of the corner stones of good manners. The
fact that all of what I have read on the LUG lately is protected by the
first ammendment doesn't make the content of these messages factually
correct, praiseworthy, mannerly, or tasteful, in my view.

Perhaps we should work a bit at toning down the rhetoric. Baring that,
could we at least work at labeling our opinions as such. Little points of
nettiquite such as IMHO can, in my humble opinion, go a long way to
greasing the wheels of discourse on the LUG.

Barney