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Subject:Improving the Quality of the List From:Dan Emory <danemory -at- primenet -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 20 Nov 2000 20:44:33 -0800
I grow weary of these interminable threads responding
ad nauseum to innocuous (or worse) questions from the
decisionally challenged.
Most of us recognize the utter futility of polling several
thousand list members for their opinion
on some workplace-related or narrow editorial issue
that mainly requires the application of common
sense by the person who initiated the thread. That person is the
only one who is in a position to know and understand all of the
factors prerequisite to deciding how to proceed. Almost inevitably,
such threads drift rapidly away from the original issue, and
spiral into nonsense that only the Delete key can cure.
In fact, I'd be willing to bet that the number of people
who unsubscribe from the list as a result of what is
described above is far greater than the number
of sensitive souls who unsubscribe because they
are offended by some of the more obstreperous
postings.
I wish more people would initiate threads with what
is essentially an essay describing their approach to
(or analysis of) substantive matters of interest to
those of us who are NOT decisionally challenged.
Threads initiated by well-thought-out essays
could frame the subsequent debate, and identify
the issues and factors that (in the originator's opinion
at least) might deserve further discussion.
I think the list would be a much better resource if
there were more of this. Each essay that
initiates such a thread, combined with the resulting
responses, would produce a much more valuable
archive than threads consisting of endless quibbling
about some minor point of no professional value
to the majority of list members.
I've tried the essay approach 5 or 6 times since I
joined the list several months ago (most recently
my post about FrameMaker text insets). Interestingly
enough, they have, in most cases, produced
very few responses. I'm not sure what that
implies about the list members.
What do you think?
====================
| Nullius in Verba |
====================
Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory -at- primenet -dot- com
10044 Adams Ave. #208, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
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