Friends,
When I requested the other day that people edit replies to avoid long tails
of endless repeats and threepeats of what we've said before, I got a half
dozen or so off-list notes. Some said, "thanks, I agree," some said, "why
worry?," and a few said, "well, you're right but I'm just too busy to care!"
The day after, I was talking with an old friend and former frequent
contributor to the list who now does what I seem to do -- we lurk because it
takes so much time to catch up with the threads, especially sorting through
badly formatted posts that make it difficult to follow the flow of information.
If this sounds like a criticism orf list behavior by designers who cannot
take the time to shape and format a message using their design skills, it is.
One or two of the notes I received reminded me of an incident most of the
design professionals on this list have complained about. This includes notes
from friends whose content I find useful and stimulating.
Have you ever held a meeting with a business leader with a proposal to
improve a product or service through effective design process and the use of
professional design services? Have you ever been told that this was
certainly a fine idea, but not really worth pursuing?
That's what I feel like when I suggest that we ought to be able to render
our list commmunication more comprehensible and readable -- only to be told
that it's a nice idea but that it's really not worth our while.
I can understand a manager declining to pay for expensive design services on
the basis that the return on that investment is not demonstrably clear.
I can't understand that many of us who make exactly this kind of appeal to
others, asking them to pay, are unwilling to invest a little time here on
the list at no cost to make our list communication more accessible to 1,400
or so subscribers.
I'm still thinking on the thread, and I hope to distill a few useful ideas
to post before long. When I do finish writing and editing them carefully, I
will send them on.
In the meantime, I'd be delighted if the designers on this list would
reflect on this intriguing question: Why should we ask anyone else to use a
service that we will not ourselves employ?
Yours,
Ken
p.s. If you wish to respond, I'd appreciate a public response to the list. I
already know how I see this issue.
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