From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@imsi.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 94 04:59:55 PDT
To: jgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us
Subject: Re: Perry vs. the Math Teacher
In-Reply-To: <940617183828g5fjgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us>
Message-ID: <9406201159.AA05028@snark.imsi.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Jeff Gostin says:
> perry@imsi.com (Perry E. Metzger) writes:
> 
> > the result applicable to factoring, I feel rather sad. Its depressing
> > commentary on what cypherpunks has become.
>      Go figger. It's become a haven of learning, where the more learned
> teach those willing to learn,
[...]
>      I've recieved some very nice replies to my earlier question about
> what O(f(x)) meant, including one from you, Mike McNally, Bill O'Hanlon,
> and Douglas Sinclair (thanx guys!! If anyone else sent anything, I haven't
> recieved it yet, but you do have my thanx, in advance!). This only proves
> that there are people who are only too willing to teach if someone shows
> they are willing to listen, and learn.

I was perfectly willing to answer someone asking an honest question.
I've asked many a stupid question myself over the years because I
didn't know a field yet. The point is not that people can't ask
questions or expect polite answers -- its that I resent people who
think that now that they've been handed a rusty saw they know how to
do surgery. You didn't insist that you knew more than other people --
you said you didn't know something so I made an effort to point you at
the answer. I dislike people who are ignorant pretending to themselves
that they know what they don't.

Perry