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Why I hate IRC sometimes...

Consider this post. Literally it is a few individuals mocking a newer/junior programmer for a simple misunderstanding of the Math.Round() function (or their inability to understand the documentation provided).  Unfortunately #C# (the C# Channel on EfNet) is "ran" by those few individuals that have nothing better to do than sit in a community based channel and mock others.  I say “ran” because they have the power to kick and/or ban anyone from the channel they wish.  I know, I have been booted a few times because I simply started to help a few of those needy folks.

Sad how you day must be to have to resort to such lows. 

I realize that many people have issues with helping the new guy just because most new guys don’t like to search Google first or simply read the documentation.  They chose to ridicule instead of doing a little bit of hand holding.

This goes the same with most forums, email lists, nntp, etc..  If your sitting in a community based forum you must expect that new guy, expect them all the time.  Just have patience, do some hand holding and let them jump into the community on a positive note.  Treat them like a jackass and they will simply walk away hurting the community as a whole.

 

In the end, it is their choice.  Simple and plain.  They choose to waste their day with making others feel like idiots and offering absolutely no positive influence on their own community.  Some say its just a bad case of small mans disease...

 

Don’t fret, there are always alternatives.   A list of other channels include #mscorlib #asp #asp.net #ms.net and even the new channel that was setup for the Channel9 forums, #channel9.

 

 

Comments

HeadJam said:

I was the newer/junior programmer that this article is talking about. Thank you for your support.
# February 28, 2005 2:09 PM

Alex Papadimoulis said:

Amen. Although I make fun of programmers daily via The Daily WTF, one rule I have is no message boards, no IRC, etc. We all gotta learn somehow ... what pompous idiots!
# February 28, 2005 2:30 PM

Humbugs said:

I agree, and I just can't stand these s-called elitists. I have always visualized these people as fat, ugly people who feed their egos through pretending they have their own "domain" or whatever they call it.

I don't see this in the .net discussions. No matter how stupid/newbie the question is, there is always an intelligent and helpful answer.
# February 28, 2005 2:33 PM

Raymond Lewallen said:

I'm a big hand holder, and enjoy it. I often blog about simple principles specifically for the beginning and junior programmers out there.
# February 28, 2005 2:38 PM

Jeff Gonzalez said:

I believe some of those guys work at Microsoft also. Most of those guys are the crew fom #visualbasic which has always been known as a ban farm. Still they aren't half as bad as the crew from #oracle. =)

I think that those guys are ivory tower for sure. The best way I have ever learned is by teaching someone something that I have learned. In #asp there really isn't a question too stupid, the worst thing you will get chastized for there is not searching google when you should have. We always tried to start slow...id tell you at least 10 times to look on google before i kicked you.
# February 28, 2005 2:39 PM

Terri Morton said:

HeadJam and others, come hang out at the ASP.NET Forums. They are moderated and we don't let this kind of crap go on. Yes, it might take you slightly longer to get an answer than IRC, but at least you'll be treated respectfully.
# February 28, 2005 3:11 PM

Drew Marsh said:

So sad. I believe the saying is: "A few bad apples spoil the bunch."
# February 28, 2005 4:07 PM

Mischa Kroon said:

To be honest, I haven't had too much trouble on the channels on Efnet.

I frequent there and usually do my share of helping out others
# March 1, 2005 5:13 AM

andrew_ said:

Sadly those channels you listed as alternatives are run by the same caliber people.

I was just banned from #asp.net AND #mscorlib because an op attempting to help grossly misunderstood a question I had. When it was pointed out that he misunderstood, I was banned from both channels simultaneously.

Thank goodness for FreeNode is all I have to say. EFNet is evil.
# March 9, 2005 2:53 PM

TrackBack said:

^_^,Pretty Good!
# April 10, 2005 9:25 AM

Edward Pearson said:

I hang in C# quite a bit (GZero|UK) and even when I was asking damn stupid questions they're normally pretty nice. You must have caught Halo in a vindictive mood ;) Anyways come hang in #asp.net, we got the cream of da crop ;) If you got a problem (however stupid) normally there's at least one regular in there who's more than willing to help. If you're lucky enough you'll get kal-EL_ on the case and he'll fix most anything. You might get the odd sarcastic comment from nostWRK, but thats just cos he cares ;)
# July 6, 2006 10:08 AM

Andrew said:

I agree, EFNET C# is full of jackasses with ego issues. They're main goal in that channel is to bring you down to make themselves feel better. I too always picture those assholes as fat, ugly, acne ridden nerds who are socially inept in the real world. I have from time to time recieved help but 90% of the time it wasn't either of the ops/voices that helped, rather i just recieved insults from at least one of them. It's usually another person who fits into my category that is willing to help out rather then the arrogant op/voice who thinks they're superior because they have irc privellages (oooh virtual privellages, my life is complete)... A nick name to watch out for, "Arrakis", he/she/thing fits into the description above. It/He/She is also overly patriotic and thinks his country is most superior and all other countries suck. Wanker.
# August 22, 2006 12:25 PM

Zodiac said:

edward, can i have the address for GZero, irc.gzero.net didn't work...
# August 30, 2006 2:09 PM

Samlande said:

omg can you guys whine any more? Most of you idiots were givin direct answers and only ragged out when you refused to either a) follow directions and follow up with a little bit of intelligence or b) argued with someone who obviously knew a lot more than you about the content in question.

If you cant stand the fire get out of the fucking stove.

# November 10, 2008 4:18 PM

Valnuke said:

This post is ridiculous, HeadJam is just an idiot.

Halo explained to him how that function worked about 10 times, so I don't see any other solution for HeadJam other than committing suicide.

# July 20, 2009 11:41 AM

vbwyrde said:

Well, I've always wondered, given the potential value of getting immediate responses to technical questions in an IRC channel (which is infinitely better than posting to forums and hoping for a response and taking days or never getting an answer at all), why for heaven's sake Microsoft doesn't just hire a few people to create an official IRC channel somewhere and provide that as a service?  It's increadible to me that the most efficient model possible for getting help is laying in the dirt dying because a bunch of munchkins took over the channels as OPs and killed them by being insanely snotty to newbies.  

Hey Microsoft:  Why don't you create some technical channels and help out?

# March 27, 2010 7:41 PM
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