From: guenther+procmail(_at_)gac(_dot_)edu
SoloCDM <deedsmis(_at_)ris(_dot_)net> writes:
I have a very serious complaint with the flags in a .procmailrc file.
[deletia]
"Every recipe", "Impossible": I don't think those words mean what you
think they do. Either your testing procedures were broken, or you
failed to try the first recipe without the 'f' flag.
[deletia]
I have a long term suggestion for you: stop, read, and think before
posting. On June 7th (less than 3 weeks ago), you posted this _exact_
recipe and a similar question. I replied, pointing out several
incorrect assumption you had made and suggesting that you remove the
'f' flag and deal with logging issues separately. Apparently you have
no interest in paying attention to what I say, so I'm going to stop
spending my time trying to help you when you don't want my help.
Goodbye, and have a nice life.
Well, I understand the reaction, Philip, and I saw it coming. I, too,
recalled that post of three weeks ago when I read his message, and I
braced for the worst. Let me just say a couple of things anyway,
though.
I've had some private mail over the last 6-or-so weeks with SoloCDM.
I've found him to be eager, grateful, and moving along on a fairly
steep learning-curve; but, alas, not always attentive.
I also have a feeling he is rather a youngster - not that this is
necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. But it makes sense given
the two overriding qualities I see of puppy-dog enthusiasm mixed with a
puppy-dog attention span. (Sorry, Solo, but bear with me; I'm trying to
save your butt.) :-)
Philip, as used to programming lingo and concepts as you are, it's
probably a far reach for you these days to remember what it was like
to be green. I think I can still remember pretty well, because, for
one, I have a non-traditional background and have had to pull myself
up in the techie world by my boot-straps, and this has included a good
deal of riding on the backs of willing mentors and dispensers of clues
(like you). I've been blessed with a certain obstinance in my efforts
that has served me well, and made my forays into the precise world of
the engineer or programmer reasonably successful, even as I continue
to be handicapped by my lack of formal training - and by my continued
interest in (meaning time wasted on) things fuzzy. :-) Anyway, I'm
still a bit green in some ways myself, is what I was trying to say; at
least, more green than you are. :-)
So I think I understand. I think that your post of 3 weeks ago went
fairly over Solo's head. I think he didn't even know that there was
gold in them-thar hills.
As for the redoubtably unscientific (not to mention wrong) conclusions
Solo just made about procmail, I suppose we just uncovered another
personality trait, one that also is most often found in the young. I
think he hasn't yet learned what the bounds of his own genius are, and
because they haven't been tested, he tends to overrate them. The
voicing of this observation is not meant to be an insult, but is merely
meant to describe an artifact (as in "rock") in the road of experience
that we all need to pass. (Sometimes the rock breaks an axle, and we
need to stop and repair our vehicle.)
I think the faulty conclusions were driven by frustration and a worn
out imagination: he really must have thought he'd "tried it all." I
can just see him flailing about, trying and trying minor edits to the
recipe, and not seeing any improvement. I can see it because I've
done it, too. For hours, even days. The difference between us is,
though, that I've had enough experience under my belt to know that it
was "me"; and not procmail.
If I may continue my postulating, I imagine further that Solo
didn't know (until this mention) that you are the procmail programming
heir to Stephen van den Berg. To a newbie, your name and your
qualifications are unknowns.
All of this, anyway, is how I reconcile in my mind the SoloCDM that I
have come to know just a bit with the one that sent that message to
the list this morning.
I don't know whether my postulates, if true, would even change your
mind any as to the big picture, but I thought I'd put this out there
anyway.
Maybe Solo can find that posting of three weeks ago, study it, and,
along with an apology to you and the list, ask about the specifics
from it that he doesn't understand?
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