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I've missed part of this thread, but from the bits and pieces that are
making it through, it seems that someone actually advocated
playing dumb as a means of getting info out of SMEs and others.
And we wonder why we get no respect as a profession!
There's a huge difference between playing dumb and admitting your
ignorance. If you play dumb, don't expect an awful lot of respect.
But if you're sincerely interesting in listening to someone else
expound on a subject that fascinates _them_, and willing to learn
more about it and fill in your own knowledge gaps, you'll obtain
something infinitely more precious than the few scraps of
knowledge the SME delivers that day: you'll earn the person's
respect and maybe even their liking. That's a very worthwhile
investment of your time indeed, and establishes a much more
useful long-term professional (and perhaps even friendly)
relationship.
--Geoff Hart @8^{)} Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
