[paganel]

It depends on the culture. Come to Eastern Europe (and I guess to other similar cultures, South America maybe?) and see how far you can go without saying "please" or "thank you". Not that far, I can tell you that.

Even though things are beginning to change for the worst in tech world, but, then again, many of the tech people in here see themselves as North-Westerners who happened to be born in the wrong place.