Re: A WASTE OF TIME

[Jan Stetson <jks -at- CONCENTRA -dot- COM>]

I'm not Judy, but I share some of her feelings.

  Judy,
   I am sorry that you feel this way about the Tech Writer's list.  However,
   it is my feeling that this is the purpose of the Subject line and the
   Delete key.

   I probably do not even read half of the messages posted to this list
   simply because the subject line doesn't interest me.  That is perhaps
   akin to judging a book by its cover, but that is my choice.  If the
   subject of a post doesn't look interesting to me, I delete it.

There are limits to how useful this is.  Sorting evaluating and
deleting a large volume of messages can itself take up a lot of time.
You can't always tell the content from the Subject line, as the
discussion wanders off the original topic.  This is a problem where
the topic IS of interest to you, and you find yourself reading endless
digressions or personal messages while in search of information you
need.

   At the same time, I find a small bit of wasted time helps lighten up a
   busy day.  I will *always* take the time to read a post with HUMOR in the
   Subject line.

   And, if for some reason I have not checked my mail for 3 or 4 days, I am
   quite likely to delete *all* messages without a second glance rather than
   take the time to find ones that may be relevent or interesting to me.

I work 3 days/week, Tuesday through Thursday.  When I come in on
Tuesday, the volume on this list just bowls me over.  And I want to go
through all the messages because the reason I've subscribed is that I
am looking for information.  I don't want to miss the one message in a
hundred that will help me solve a problem.

If Judy's post encourages people to take clearly individual and
personal discussions off line and into individual email HURRAY!!!

   In short, if I think it is a waste of *my* time, I don't read the
   message.  But someone else may not feel it is a waste of *their* time.

   Happy Surfing,

   Scott Browne
   Greenleaf Software


   "Choose your friends carefully.  Your enemies will choose you!"
                                                   --Y. ARAFAT