Guide for Useful Discussions

On occasion non-scientists write to me with questions. Here are some guidelines for how to interact with me so that our time is not wasted. (Most scientists do these things automatically.)

1. Please identify yourself. What state, city and country (if not obvious) are you in? What do you do? I like to know who I am communicating with. Sig lines are fine.
2. Please tell me how you found my web pages. I'm curious.
3. I ask that you be strictly honest with both me and yourself. (See the book HONEST MAN'S PHILOSOPHY by Thomas E. Blaylock, Jr.)
4. Please be polite. If there is a record on the web of you being impolite, I will know about it and take that into account.
5. I ask that you respond to all of my questions. It is frustrating to take the time to write several questions and then only to have the first one responded to.
6. I ask that you make a good faith effort to locate and read completely all references I give you before you respond. I spent the time to get the reference to you, it is frustrating to see that time wasted.
7. Look closely at your assumptions and investigate how you know things.
8. Technical details:
   1. Use good English and grammar. Take the time to correct your email so I don't have to waste time figuring out what you meant.
   2. Do not send me word documents!
   3. Use proper quoting - trim your emails!
   4. Do not Top post! - don't put things out of normal reading order!
   5. Do not send me material that is available on the web! Instead, use google to locate the material and tell me the URL.

If you do these things I may be willing to take some time to guide you into the mysteries of molecular information theory.

I may chose to publish parts of our discussion on the web, especially the parts I write. I will tell you about it. I will not quote out of context.