[seqfan] Re: Please be polite and courteous

[Bob Selcoe]

Hello Neil and seqfans,

Remarkable coincidence, Neil. I was thinking of suggesting essentially the same thing today, after submitting a very short comment in a sequence - something I haven't considered doing in a month due in large part to experiencing unwarranted criticism here - only to get a rather terse reply over a typo. Of course, I didn't offer the suggestion on seqfan since I feel that I have little clout; I imagine I'm not the only one here experiencing this feeling. Anyway, Neil, it's nice to see your post. I couldn't agree more.

Bob Selcoe

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 2, 2017, at 9:44 PM, Neil Sloane <njasloane at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear Sequence Fans,
> 
> When the OEIS started out as a web site, back in 1995 or so, we were very
> small.  But now we are The OEIS Foundation Inc., and our web site is famous,
> we should behave like respectable citizens of the world.
> Remember, everything we do - in the database, in the wiki, on the Sequence
> Fans Mailing List, on all the editors mailing lists - is being watched by
> the whole world.
> 
> When you post a criticism of something, above all, be polite and
> courteous.  Show good manners.
> 
> If you are a long-time reader of Math Reviews or Math Sci Net, as I am, you
> learn that you never say "the proof is wrong".  You say "it appears that
> one of the steps in the proof may need further justification".  This
> accomplishes the same thing to any knowledgeable reader, and is far more
> courteous.
> 
> In short, when discussing something, remember that what we say should not
> give offense to anyone involved, to his/her mother or daughter, or to their
> lawyer.  Everything we do is public.
> 
> Best regards
> Neil
> 
> Neil J. A. Sloane, President, OEIS Foundation.
> 11 South Adelaide Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904, USA.
> Also Visiting Scientist, Math. Dept., Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.
> Phone: 732 828 6098; home page: http://NeilSloane.com
> Email: njasloane at gmail.com
> 
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