TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Christine Pellar-Kosbar wondered <<Has anyone else noticed
this phenomenon: on web pages, and now even on signs, I
find myself disregarding anything too flashy as an "ad." I
don't even read it. Sometimes it turns out to be important
information.>>
I've also learned to ignore banner ads, and will even scroll my
screen so I don't have to look at objects that flash, gyrate,
wiggle, or otherwise try (vainly) to grab my attention. In my
experience, they're all time wasters. I'm sure I've missed some
interesting stuff that way, but that's not my problem... it's the
salesdroids that create these things that suffer if they can't
attract my business.
<<Are we desensitizing people with flashy marketing
materials?>>
Well, based on a sample size of 2... <g>
<<Or am I just getting old?>>
Probably. I tried giving up aging last year for Lent, but for
some reason, I couldn't quite manage it. OTOH, I try to keep
a young outlook, which is much easier to do.
"Perhaps there is something deep and profound behind all those sevens,
something just calling out for us to discover it. But I
suspect that it is only a pernicious, Pythagorean coincidence." George
Miller, "The Magical Number Seven" (1956)
