st: Thanks and Amazement

["Ben Hoen" <bhoen@lbl.gov>]

To all Stata-listers,

I just wanted to write down my thoughts regarding the Statalist, and how
surprised/delighted/amazed I find consistently myself with the speed,
thoroughness, and unbridled brilliance of the members of the list. I am
forever indebted to the users who have so often graciously offered their
advice.  This indebtedness is amplified because I am usually stoic about
offering any advice to others (for often I either do not know the answer or
fear the answer I would give would not be the best advice possible) and
therefore my use of the list is primarily a one-way-street.  

As a Stata user for a bit more than a year, who had not learned any
programming language of any kind before, and who has a (potentially)
unhealthy need to try to do things right the first time (as opposed to
working around problems) I frankly do not know what I would do without the
Statalist.  

It is sheer delight I feel after sending off a Statalist post on a subject
that has stumped me for the previous hours, only to find a message in the
list-serve in 5 minutes that not only answers my question directly, but
offers tangential advice on other commands that I might be interested in too
(often that I did not even realize I should know).

I suspect I speak for most of the users on this list when I say that
StataCorp is extremely well served by your bright minds, and willingness to
help out.  I, for one, am undying in my thanks to all of you.  It really is
truly remarkable what you all do.

Sincerely,

Ben


Ben Hoen
Principal Research Associate
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Office: 845-758-1896
Cell: 718-812-7589
bhoen@lbl.gov
http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/emp/staff/hoen.html




*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/