Is that so harsh?

Guess it's all a matter of your point of view but the OP's reply of:

Thanks, but I wait till someone who uderstands[sic] the purpose of hashes comes along and gives me the appropriate syntax.

seemed harsh. Hard to explain without "I know it when I see it" but it just didn't seem appropriate from someone who was asking others for help. Good answer, bad answer, misunderstanding -- doesn't matter. It's fine to disagree, wonderful to disagree, but in my protected little world, it's best to remain civil.

My comment was a bit OT and this reply deviates even further. I certainly don't want to debate etiquette or get into your dialog with moritz but it would have been rude ;-) of me not to answer your question (even if was meant rhetorically).