[topicmapmail] information about topicmaps!!

[Murray Altheim]

Selim Ernkut wrote:
> This is notice is specially to Murray and  Miles
> Thompson and to all think like them:
> Are you guys all paranoid or something like that? I am
> a member of the "infoloom topicmapmail" and i can also
> login, so i can already see your mail addresses and if
> i would i can use them for spam or other things!
> The reasons that i'm not using my university mail is
> that i will protect it from spammail(i must use it for
> several years, and it would not be so funny to deal
> with thousands of spam mails) !! =>>> so i created a
> mail account specially for the posts from "infoloom
> topicmapmail" !!! 

The fact that you are able to join this list does not prove you
aren't a spammer. As Miles said, your first message exhibited
enough to warrant suspicion from even the non-paranoid:

   * the initial email provided no first name, an extremely
     common surname, no other identity, no affiliations
   * you've now used two alii ("Mr. White" and "Selim Erünkut")
     showing that you are willing to falsify information in
     this list, which is a relatively small community composed
     almost entirely of people with identities.  I don't have a
     problem with people using an alias on the list, but when one
     does, it opens up the possibility of suspicion. This is
     usually the case when people don't use their real name.
     Try it in a bank or an airport sometime.
   * the message asked very vague questions that showed little
     understanding of even what Topic Maps are, and there's
     plenty of online information. If you had read any of the
     content on the list of URLs you provided, you'd have known
     hopefully enough to ask a more knowledgeable question.
   * finally, you posted a list of good sources of Topic Map
     information and asked that nobody send you them. Yet, those
     are probably among the best places to learn about Topic Maps.

I was not alone in my suspicion. That you've yet to answer from
your university email address (even to anyone privately) to
prove your identity only heightens the issue. It was a simple
request to prove your identity, the same method used almost
everywhere on the net to prove identity.

And yes, I am paranoid about spammers. On a bad month I receive
as many as 3500 spams, most of which are caught by filters either
at the server or by my client. I think spammers should be filled
with cat shit and set on fire.

 > But i now what your problem is! We have also guys like
 > you in our mailing lists, they never send helping
 > informations or links, they only criticize what other
 > people write!!!

And insulting them will not generally increase the likelihood of
them helping you. Remember that you are asking for free advice,
which is given out of generosity. I have spent many, many hours
over the last four years helping people on the Topic Map lists.
There are others here who've done the same. A lack of net etiquette
on your part should not be turned around as criticism of people
simply trying to guard against spammers, who've made everyone
suspicious. You could remove this suspicion by simply sending
anyone on this list a private email from your university address,
and then we can go about trying to answer your questions.

And as Miles said, this will also be my last post on the subject.

Murray

......................................................................
Murray Altheim                    http://kmi.open.ac.uk/people/murray/
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK               .

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