Why Delphi Users DON'T Get Flamed?

Angela Gunn wrote in PC Magazine, "It's notable that Delphi members have participated on the Internet for years without wreaking the kind of havoc caused by some of AOL's Internet newbies." Delphi was one of the premiere on-line services to offer true Internet access and has offered its users the broadest range of Internet services like e-mail, Usenet newsgroups, FTP, IRC, Gopher, Telnet, and text-based WWW since its inception (Gunn Oct. 1994). But Delphi has only offered a text-based interface which is admittedly much less user-friendly than GUIs. Consequently Delphi users tend to be more technically literate and those that are completely novice tend to be less technophobic. Users have to have some UNIX mastery to start surfing. Having to learn UNIX, even a bare essential commands, is a selection process and by the time Delphi users start Net surfing, they already know how to swim. Moreover, the close-knit nature of the comparatively small Delphi community extends to the Internet areas; users having trouble navigating are often advised by other friendly Delphi passerby (Gunn Oct. 1994). On a similar note, Usenet citizens seem to understand that Delphi users have not taken some shortcut on to the Infobahn. Taking the rough road of a text-based interface seems to create a special unconscious bond, between Usenet regulars and Delphi users, which keeps them from getting easily flamed. The selection and education process induced by a text-based interface; the smaller close-knit nature of Delphi; and the unconscious bond between Delphi and Usenet citizens have helped keep Delphi's users out of hot water. Moreover, Delphi's newest addition of "newbie forums" for new users also helps educate users and keep them out of mischief (Gunn March 1995).