Re: Attitude Adj...not so UNimportant

[Damien Braniff <Damien_Braniff -at- PAC -dot- CO -dot- UK>]

My two pennies worth - no cents over here :- )

I agree with Pat that it SHOULDN'T matter what we say on the list when it
comes to interviews etc but I feel this is the ideal rather than the
reality. Human nature being what it is, we all (well most of us) make
impressions of people we meet be it in reality or virtually.  I know there
are people on the list I feel "in tune" with, those who come up with
"interesting" views for discussion and some who (to me!) come out with
utter twaddle!  It is a matter of perspective but everyone has a different
perspective.

How many of us would go for an interview in an old T-shirt and scruffy
jeans?  We might be brilliant at our job but that initial, visual,
impression will probably colour the interviewers opinions (like it or not).
The impression we create on the list is simply an extension of this and
something we should be aware of.  Having said that, I would hope that most
of us would know better than to make a judgement on the odd "irrational"
posting - everybody has off days and topics that they are particularly
heated about.

I feel that in some ways it is good to "let off steam" - a lot of writers
tend to work in relatively small groups and it can help to have somebody
blow up about something if only so you can say "so it's not just me"!

As an aside (not to put too much importance on impressions) a friend of
mine was the traditional "bovver boy" when I first saw him - DM boots,
skinhead, scruffy jeans and leather jacket,tattoos on knuckles etc; not the
sort you'd want to meet in a dark alley.  When introduced, I found him to
be very pleasant and articulate, not at all the person implied by his
outward "looks".

Damien Braniff
Technical Author
PAC International


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