The guy was just asking for help!
I don't see the need to be terse.
Mark
The problem with emails and any written word is the emotion placed on the written words is actually determined based on the mood of the reader at the time since the reader can't determine tone of voice and is not based on the intent of the sender. It is a common problem with short emails that get to an answer quickly, but the receiver is in a bad mood so the email is taken as being rude when in actually it is just being helpful. I used to see this everyday at work where my people would be chastised for an innocent email which was taken out of context by an irate receiver. Many people need a fluffy introduction to calm their bad mood before getting to the point. For example, the written letter you receive cancelling your insurance which can never be written well enough not to upset someone. It's just a fact of email conversations and any written communication. It's really up to the receiver to give the sender the benefit of the doubt and stand back and determine if the answer was helpful or not. Frank's answer was definitely helpful. I'll bet if these same words are read on another day, they would be interpreted differently. I have nothing to gain from defending Frank's email since I do not know Frank and have never met him and no animals were injured during this reply. LOL