Reality check

[Thomas D. Seay]

Dear colleagues on the list,

Here we go again.

The reality of our situation is this - some people thoroughly enjoy
dissension and strife and are happiest when they are the center of
attention, particularly when they perceive themselves as being a victim. It
is their rather juvenile way of attracting attention to themselves and they
just seem to thrive on it. When we respond to these people, however
well-intentioned our response may be, we are doing precisely what they want
us to do and then they've won.

Writing posts to chastise won't work. Insulting won't work. Trying to use
common sense won't work. Trying to use reason and logic won't work. Nothing
will work. You simply can't change someone who won't admit that he needs
help. Common sense and history tells us that if you don't respond to people
like this, however tempting it might be at the time, they will go away.

I would respectfully suggest that everyone please REFRAIN from responding
in any fashion to this troubled soul. If we all do this as a group, he will
finally give up and seek another place to "milk the crowd" and feed his
need to be the center of attention.

Use filters, delete manually, do whatever you have to do to, but just don't
respond to him AT ALL. We'll eventually be rid of him and we'll all be the
better for it.

Hang in there,

Tom Seay
mailto:t.seay@mail.utexas.edu