The Dr. Fred scandal

[patrick@Verity.COM (Patrick Horgan)]

I feel moved to make a couple of comments.

o Dr. Fred did get over the edge.  His communication style had little to
  recommend it.
o He did make some good and useful comments along with some others.
o Some people posting anonymously and otherwise took out of context
  quotes in an apparently mean-spirited way and slammed the guy.
o Dr. Fred reacted
o Others reacted
o Some people took private email from Dr. Fred and quite unethically replied
  publicly on this list without his permission.
o I see both sides as owing this list apologies.
o There are two sides to this whole thing.

Fred brought up some concerns about possible holes in software just as many
of us have.  Most the time things like this result in good discussions on
this list and concensus is reached about the holes existing or not and
the extent of the holes.  Because of Dr. Fred's presentation, he quickly
alienated people, and what little discussion there was about his theories
was lost in the noise.

We'd do better to let it drop.  In the future if someone really annoys you
in the way they present something, perhaps it would help more if you sent
them private email noting that their communication skills are working 
against them and giving them some helpful pointers about how they could have
done things differently.  That way you'll be part of the solution instead
of part of the problem.  It's easier to get your dander up and express 
your annoyance publicly, but that affects all the rest of us.

Patrick
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