In Unnecessary tag attributes with CGI our fellow monk peschkaj asked for some help with CGI and XHTML.

He then finds the answer in the spec (which one I don't know peschkaj does not explain)

Wouldn't it be better that when we make a mistake like this (I know we all do) that instead of asking for deletion, we leave the node and post a follow up with the answer. So, that someone searching through the archives would be pointed right to the spec (in this case) and the answer.

I have a feeling having a couple of extra nodes lying around is not going to be a problem. I'm also quite sure that the poster would not get downvoted if he|she posted the answer



grep
Mynd you, mønk bites Kan be pretti nasti...

Edited 2002-11-03 by Ovid

  • Comment on Deletions and the good of the community

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Re: Deletions and the good of the community
by vek (Prior) on Nov 04, 2002 at 04:31 UTC
    I think some people ask for deletions because, on reflection, they are embarrassed about asking an 'obvious' question. Sometimes that is a shame because, as you point out grep, there could be some valuable info for others to find in a search. I know that I have asked some 'obvious' questions in the past and have felt a little silly after the fact (we've all posted those) and perhaps wished the node would go away. Glad I left them alone though as I can always go back and look at how my Perl skills have improved over the years.

    Nice post grep.

    -- vek --
[reply]
Re: Deletions and the good of the community
by graff (Chancellor) on Nov 04, 2002 at 02:58 UTC
    I agree with you -- no reason to delete this sort of node. Instead, it would be great if peschkaj would update that reply to his own question, to clarify what/where the solution was that he found.

    These sorts of things have instructive value for others.

[reply]
Re: Deletions and the good of the community
by PodMaster (Abbot) on Nov 04, 2002 at 08:41 UTC
    We need to resurrect the node. If it's not a duplicate, offensive, or something horribly OT, it doesn't need to be deleted.

    I remember having a much more embarresing node than that (well the other me), and it still stands.

    ____________________________________________________
    ** The Third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.

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Re: Deletions and the good of the community
by Daruma (Curate) on Nov 04, 2002 at 16:57 UTC
    Greetings!!

    I believe this is exactly the kind of node we should keep!! It will help the community rather than hinder it. Many new monks need the gentle guidance of those who have spent more hours searching the endless halls of nodes here in the Monastery. If a monk, experienced or not, happens to find the answer to his own question, that solution will likely help many other monks in their quest for knowledge.

    The newer monk reading a self resolving thread might think: "Aha! I can use Super Search to find an answer rather than posting a node that might raise the ire of my brethren."

    As a monk who spends far more time reading nodes than posting them, I can say that I would certainly learn something from a self-resolved thread... especially when the resolution is found within the catacombs of previously posted nodes...

    -Daruma
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Re: Deletions and the good of the community
by peschkaj (Pilgrim) on Nov 04, 2002 at 23:23 UTC
    Very valid points. And you're absolutely correct: I asked for the node to be deleted out of complete embarassment that I 1) would not look something up before posting and 2) would find the answer to be so trivial (to myself). In retrospect, while it is a silly question, I'm sure that someone will eventually come across it and go "Oh, so that's why it does that!"

    At least I am living up to my sig.

    If you make something idiot-proof, eventually someone will make a better idiot.
    I am that better idiot.
[reply]

      Well if you want, I have confirmed that you can make a plea to the gods to unreap the node, which will make it searchable.

      You can then post your solution. I'll be the first one to upvote it :)

      UPDATE: The gods will has been done Unnecessary tag attributes with CGI is now resurrected :).

      grep
      Mynd you, mønk bites Kan be pretti nasti...
[reply]

        Well, a poster can get downvoted for just about anything here... Especially for answering their own question. I can think of two situations where the answer was only apparent after 5-6 hours more coding. Posting the answer has almost always turned that into a negative node for me. (Even though the rest of the Monastery did not figure the problem out in that 5-6 hours...)

        Of course replying with "RTFM" seems to be the best way to increase your positive nodes....

        ~Hammy (and 77 trained chillean llamas)

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