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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

400.0. "A question of style: Addressing the public." by MUNICH::CLINCH (Legalise Success!) Mon Oct 05 1987 14:02

    Leaving the technical issues entirely aside,  because I found the support
    information helpful,  I was nevertheless surprised at the style
    of the reply to my request for information.
    
    First comes my note,  which was the first time I have placed a note
    in the PLOT11 conference.

    Second,  a reply to it from the moderator of that conference.

    Comment is invited...

               <<< KBOMFG::USER11:[NOTES$LIBRARY]PLOT11.NOTE;1 >>>
                    -< Plot-11 The color hardcopy software >-
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Note 60.0      Error message deciphering/debug information wanted        1 reply
MUNICH::CLINCH "Legalise Success!"                   18 lines   1-OCT-1987 14:40
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    Note 36.0 also asked for documentation and it seems that after all
    this time,  the fact that no-one will admit to having any suggests there
    isn't any.  Confirm?
    
    In particular when I invoke plot,  I get the error message:
    
%HPDRIVER-F-DIAGHLT, diagnostic: file not found !+!/  File "!AC"  Filename "!AS"

    I don't know the following:
    
    	- The recommended action to take...or alternatively...
    	- Which image to run with debug (it was linked with /traceback, no?)

    Any ideas/offers of documentation/other info that might help?
    
    Rgds.
    
    Simon.
               <<< KBOMFG::USER11:[NOTES$LIBRARY]PLOT11.NOTE;1 >>>
                    -< Plot-11 The color hardcopy software >-
================================================================================
Note 60.1      Error message deciphering/debug information wanted         1 of 1
WAYWRD::WOLFF "I feel the need, the need for speed"  28 lines   2-OCT-1987 16:15
                             -< Decipher this.... >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Mr Simon Clinch,
    
    are you looking for trouble ? 
    
    I am normally always glad to help, but this note seems a little
    bit out of line, Sir !
    
    I want to make this once and for all clear, even for you: Plot-11
    is not a DEC layerd product. Plot-11 is no longer my full time job.
    The support I give is because I don't want people to be left in
    the dark. The enhancements and development are done on a 'if I
    have time' basis.
    
    Simon, if you would care to read what your console prints out when
    you install Plot-11 you would have realized that you have to edit
    and execute PlotStart.COM in SYS$Manager. This file is to assign
    a terminal device the Driver can print on. If you have the plotter
    locally you have to run RegisGPL, GPL and then issue Plot, otherwise
    you could get the same error.
    That is described in the SLIDES.DOC which is moved to
    Sys$Manager I guess, read it where it moves it to while Plot-11 installs.
    
    If you can't do this why don't you use VAXplot command file in
    SYS$System and try again.
    
    	Julian.

    

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
400.1ULTRA::HERBISONLess functionality, more featuresMon Oct 05 1987 14:2611
        From the context you gave, the reply does seem out of line.
        I don't read the conference, so I don't know the complete
        context of the situation.  There may be many other notices in
        the conference about PLOT11 support, the lack of documentation,
        and about your particular problem which may explain (but not
        excuse) the response you received. 
        
        However, this discussion seems more appropriate for
        HUMAN::ETIQUETTE than for HUMAN::DIGITAL. 
        
        					B.J.
400.2Private mail timeDECWIN::FISHERBurns Fisher 381-1466, ZKO1-1/D42Mon Oct 05 1987 20:389
    Personally, I think this discussion belongs in private mail between
    the two individuals involved.  That usually works much better than
    engaging each other in public shooting matches.  A letter starting
    "I'm sorry I offended you, but I don't understand what the offense
    is" might do wonders.
    
    
    Burns
    
400.4German-English Translation?STAR::BOUCHARDI have nothing to sayFri Oct 09 1987 01:578
    
    I can't say if this is the the case, but the PLOT11 author is in
    Germany, and presumably English is not his native language.  When
    I was working with some folks in Germany things would sometimes
    get lost in translation, and in this case your criticism may have
    been translated as being more serious than intended...
    
    
400.5.4 restoredSTAR::BOUCHARDI have nothing to sayFri Oct 16 1987 00:4110
    
    Our friendly moderator Mr. Covert set my previous note hidden to
    spare me the embarrassment of being incorrect about the PLOT11 author
    being in Germany.  I remember the PLOT11 conference as being on
    KBOV05 in Germany, but it may have moved, or I may have been mistaken.
    In any case the point I was trying to make still stand -- always
    make allowances for differences in communication style when dealing
    with people electronically -- don't take insult over something unless
    you are sure insult was intended!
    
400.6COVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertFri Oct 16 1987 01:045
I hid the note because Simon Clinch (who is in Germany) was offended by the
reply by Julian Wolff (who is in Tewksbury).  The Plot-11 conference is, in
fact, in Kaufbeuren.

/john
400.7Since you are talking about me....WAYWRD::WOLFFI feel the need, the need for speedWed Oct 28 1987 18:5955
    Since I heard the discussions about me, without me, are going
    on here, I would like to submit my final answer (7-Oct-87).
    
    I have to admit I felt very bad and insulted about the wording of
    this note of Simon. This is usual not the way I react to questions
    in my notesfile. So have set the note hidden after I though about
    it and wrote another answer which I'll post here:
    
    If Simons intensions were different than what I understood, then
    I would like to excuse me, if this makes a difference to him, the
    answer was not appropriate in this case.
    
               <<< KBOMFG::USER11:[NOTES$LIBRARY]PLOT11.NOTE;1 >>>
                    -< Plot-11 The color hardcopy software >-
================================================================================
Note 60.2      Error message deciphering/debug information wanted         2 of 2
WAYWRD::WOLFF "I feel the need, the need for speed"  34 lines   7-OCT-1987 18:02
                 -< Second try...to proof I am not that bad. >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well, 
    
    after I thought about it, and actually I am not such a bad guy I
    think I should take a second cut on this.
    
    If Simon, you would have worded it differenty I would have answered
    in a normal way, like I always do. But this sounded so ironic and
    sounded in my ears like 'What shit did you produce Julian...' that
    I felt somehow I don't have to deal with this.
    
    The error messages:
    
    You're right they are useless, actually this one only is useless
    the compiler has an build in error handler which directs all errors
    it can't deal with to a 'last chance' handler, this one does not
    fill in the correct error parameters but just prints the primary
    signalled condition. Maybe I change it if I got time, unfortunalty
    I have very little time these days.
    
    The documentation, this is a big thing, I know it is somewhat 2
    pages and total out of date. Maybe I think most of the time everything
    is mostly selfexplanatory and I can't be so hard to type in 3 commands
    this maybe wrong, but there is online help if you installed it correct.
    
    And one thing to the error message, did you edit and execute PLOTSTART
    most people don't although it is mentioned with uppercase letters
    in the install procedure and it also has a 'Please' in it.

    
    	Julian.
    
    PS. Hope that answers your question.