T Murphy's Journal: 3 rules for better posts

1. Assume other slashdotters aren't idiots. People want to read what insight you have, not how you find yourself so much smarter than this other guy, and on the occasion you are wrong you don't look so bad.
2. Balance your post, concede to the other side a little. On occasion a succinct post won't have room for this, but anything more than 2 sentences has space for a little give and take (see what I did there?). At the very least, it helps people understand your position better, and helps them follow rule #1.
3. If you aren't sure about something, say so, and maybe ask a good question. Nothing moves conversation better than a good question, but too many people on slashdot are too concerned with showing off what they know to ask a question that shows how much they don't know. People will occasionally mod up good questions, especially when it prompts an insightful answer.

This somewhat violates rule #1, so I apologize.