Do you say Thank You?

I find either of two extreemes: either people are incredible helpful and professional or they respond with very few words. Like many I'm sure, I have developed a very nice "e-mail relationship" with several members here and weekly/monthly chats about this great hobby who want to take the time to be curteous. Members in the other bucket I try to not let bother me. But overall, yes, I believe what you are expecting, Tvad, is correct.

Elizabeth, I love you!!!

I have just invented a death ray, and plan on ruling the world soon! I need someone with whom I can share my life with. You appear to have all the qualifications I require!
(Plus you have a cool stereo rig, to boot!)

Would you consent to helping me destroy most of the civilized world, (as an example to those who survive!), and starting a new world order with me?!

(Needless to say, I won't be turning my back on you, or giving you the keys to the death ray though!)

:-)

I respond as quickly as I can and with as complete an answer as I can muster. I really don't spend any additional time wondering if the info was useful or not or if I'm going to receive a thank you.

For some reason curtesy seems to have disappeared on the internet in general. I can understand why often an answered question in the forum receives no thanks :-), however, like Tvad, I remain baffled why at least half of the E-Mail inquiries I respond to get no expression of gratitude. Frankly I consider it rude to ask for and receive help and to not acknowledge it with a simple thanks.

What I think may be going on that differentiates the 'thanks' responses from the 'no thanks' responses, is that the requester has e-mailed a host of people with similar equipment etc to collect opinions, just as you would in the forum, assuming that he might get more candid responses than the PC responses one gets in the forum because of censorship. Actually not a dumb thing to do. But having received a lot of responses is just too lazy to thank everyone. Just the ones he thinks can give him further help get acknowledgement in the e-mail in which he asked a refined question.

I've become much more discriminate in offering help to folks with generic inquiries. :-(

I think a "thank you" is a classy touch, and always try to abide by sending one.

It's interesting to note how many will send off an inquiry or reply with a sentence or two. And, I'm astounded by the amount of people who don't even include their names - not even a first name.