Re: Welcome and how to leave

[Peter Montgomery <MONTGOMERY -at- CAMINS -dot- CAMOSUN -dot- BC -dot- CA>]

> Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1993 09:22:20 -0500 Thus spake Len Olszewski
 <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>

LO>As an instructive example, this situation makes a strong argument for
LO>persistent documentation with good accessibility. Unfortunately, list
LO>services force people to take responsibility for their own information
LO>storage and retrieval. Human nature being what it is, a fair percentage
LO>of them screw it up.

Funny that we aren't so forgiving about the driving of cars. In fact, we
make people get lisences, and take tests before we let them drive cars.
Maybe there needs to be something more of an initiation phase for
entry into a list. If the process is too complex for the casual user,
then it is a bit unfair to such, to let them get involved, if they can't
extricate themselves properly.

The more I think about it, the more it looks to me like a lack
of experience/training in dual processing. Academics tend to be so
bloody linear, that they tend not to be able to carry two thought
streams simultaneously. It is like people who turn off a terminal
without logging out of their accounts. They don't realise there are
two different operations that they are engaged in at the same time.
The documentor's task is to get that concept across. Once it sinks
in, then maybe the person will realise what they have to do.

I dunno.

Peter
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*  Peter Montgomery               Montgomery -at- camosun -dot- bc -dot- ca  *
*            Exitus effigium effigies exituum               *
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