Hi
This is non-stata but my .25 cents to the rather
un-statalist-like discussion following the panel data
question.
This is typically what happens (personal experience
and through observing the list for close to 5 years
now), you chance on stata (either because someone
recommends it, or because you find that the
institution you are affiliated to is using it).
You try to get a few things done (and this is
initially very exciting), however, because stata is a
language of its own, you run up against a wall trying
to figure a way of getting something that looks rather
trivial done. The manuals are not very attractive (7
huge monsters staring at you) so you go the all
powerful google and run a quick search on stata and
more often than not you are lead to the statalist (or
someone points you to the list).
You quickly subscribe to the list and excitedly post
your first question (usually with some unintelligible
subject line...my first was Mayday mayday).
Two things then happen; first you get a reply in
usually under one hour (in fact often more than one
reply, each subsequent one offering a neater and
shorter way to approach your problem). The other thing
that happens is that someone will write and point out
to you some list etiquette for example, that it�s not
good to use dumb subject lines such as the one I
used....mayday mayday... I later learnt that this does
not help people searching the archives).
Now you have a bitter and sweet pill in your mouth,
sweet because three people have offered a solution,
bitter because someone has dared to criticize you
(albeit positively). You can either take the criticism
and learn from the posting guidelines, or you get
angry and hit back (as many have done over the years).
I will not go into the psychology of the choices
people make because I still have not figured out the
choices I make so how dare I try to understand the
ones others make.
Anyhow, it doesn�t end there, I said three solutions
(or more have been offered), some may even offer leads
on more useful reading material. However, because the
first answers came rather quickly, you decide not to
follow the leads and instead post more questions on
the solutions that could be answered by quickly
looking at some of the links that have been offered
(or at the help for the command in question). This
makes listers angry as you consume bandwidth and fill
their boxes with "simple questions". My experience has
had me to conclude that this list is very restrained
and civil so you may never hear from many of the
seething listers. However, every once in a while, a
well meaning lister will write and offer advice
(again, this can easily be misinterpreted as someone
being all high and mighty and putting you in you
place....and those near you will hear you screaming
HOW DARE S/HE).
Some screaming follows, a few listers may come in to
help calm the situation, but more often than not, you
will be ignored which should allow you cool off. You
get back to work, finish the assignment at hand and
move on to other things. In the meantime, you continue
to read mail on the list and soon it becomes clear why
the advice had been given to you as either you see
someone making a similar mistake or you begin to
appreciate the usefulness of the guidelines.
A very long email here, what am I trying to say, with
time you will come to appreciate the invaluable
service Nick Cox (and many others) continue to
selflessly offer to the stata users the world over,
and that the criticism made is to make the listing
experience better for you and many others, take it and
learn from it and you will be enriched. Get offended
and start a storm and the stata experience may not be
a very pleasant one for you.
A little more that .25, hopefully it doesnt constitute
abuse of the list
Ronnie
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