[Dx-qsl] RE: [Do-qsl] Help please

Fri Aug 4 11:30:38 EDT 2006

At 10:52 AM 08/04/2006, Dave Haney wrote:
>Personally, if we are not here to help each other, what is the purpose of
>this list (or life in general) ? This is not like a DX net or DX cluster.
>Here we just discuss QSL info and related topics.

Yes but....
>Rag, while I respect your opinion, I cannot see how this forum constitutes
>"spoon feeding" in any way. There are times when some of us just do not have
>the resources necessary to "dig out information independently." We all need
>a little help sometimes.

Dave, I respectfully disagree with the statement above ("There are 
times when some of us just do not have
the resources necessary to "dig out information independently"). If 
one is a newcomer to DXing, is not a native English-speaker or has no 
'Net access and is looking for information on their own outside of 
this forum, obviously bending over backwards is the Right Thing to 
do. But for the rest of us....
Since one is participating in this forum, 'Net access is a given. The 
tools available are plentiful and easy to both access and use. 
Pathfinder, (and individually QRZ.com, Buckmaster (hamcall.net) and 
DX Summit) provide 95% of the clues necessary for any person of 
average intelligence to at least make a good guess as to an address. 
I think it's a fair statement to say that if you can't find a route 
through the above means, then this forum IS a good place to turn for 
help, or if you get conflicting addresses or get a bounce-back, etc. 
"How much postage," IRC-versus-$,ドル etc, all good questions. But 
"What's the route of <insert-DXpedition-callsign> or similar 
questions I do feel to be a waste of time and resources.
I absolutely think it's a fair comment to recommend the 
above-referenced tools when a "simple" request is made (such as the 
one that started this thread). If one is new to QSLing, these tools 
will make you an expert in no-time flat.
Cheers,
Peter,
W2IRT 