Klarinet Archive - Posting 000725.txt from 1999/12
From: Janet <mcnaught@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] A faq for klarinet
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 11:58:06 -0500
Thanks Dan - I'll second that nomination! I responed off-list and offered to
help as well; If a few of us decide how we want this to be used, and
"approve" a list of subjects, I think that this is a wonderful offer from Dan
to synthesize some answers for the questions. Of course, I know that he will
present a completely unbiased and objective view.
In fact, one of the FAQ's should be "How do I use the Klarinet Archives"
So Mark, how does this technology work? Do we create a new section on Sneezy
called FAQ? Or is this something that can be "moderated" in my new phantom
sponsor page?
Janet
Daniel Leeson wrote:
> The other day, a brave soul came up with a really very good idea, but
> then he got dumped on. He said, "Why don't we have a FAQ for the
> various topics that appear on KLARINET from time to time so that we
> can direct newcomers to that document." Great idea, but then came
> back the answers: "You want it. You do it." or "S'not my job man."
>
> It shows clearly how no good deed ever goes unpunished.
>
> All right, so I'll make a counter offer.
>
> Pick a topic, a good one, and everybody and his brother should contrib-
> ute to that topic with their views, AND I'LL WRITE THE FAQ based on
> those comments.
>
> Some caveats: it is not practical or even wise to produce a document
> that is simply the sum of everybody's disparate views. It requires a
> lot of editing, and even the rejection of irrelevencies, wierd theories,
> bizarre ideas, and irrational crap. What comes out is a carefully
> moulded brick of solid ideas that really has about n parts. One part
> says, "this is the common wisdom." Another says, "this is a minority
> view that needs to be known." Another part says, "these views have
> been suggested but no supporting evidence has been presented to take
> them out of the crazy category." ... And finally, an n-th part says,
> "The sum and substance of the topic says this: ..."
>
> I'm very good at taking disparate views presented in varying English
> styles and moulding them into a single statement that represents a
> composite picture in a single writing style with good spelling.
>
> But you have to work, too! I am not going to produce a docuement
> of my ideas and then propose them as a viable klarinet FAQ. It is not
> that I mistrust my ideas, only that they may not (and often do not)
> represent a mainstream position. Besides, I don't think there is anyone
> alive with a position on any topic that all would tolerate as the
> absolute and fundemental technical truth. No matter how arcane the
> subject, there are invariably 6 opinions on it going in all directions.
>
> Is this going to work? I don't know. It all depends on how you react.
> How about an experiment? Take a single topic and exercize it. The
> topic is: "What are the various benefits and deficiencies of the
> multiple materials used to make clarinets?"
>
> Too broad??? Try this: "Wood vs. all other materials in clarinet
> manufacture."
>
> Still too broad??? Try this: "Wood types in clarinet manufacture:
> benefits and deficiencies."
>
> Don't rush in with answers to any of these questions. That was not my
> purpose in presenting this in this fasion. First let us address
> if this is a worth while effort for KLARINET and who has the responsi-
> bility for the FAQ after it is completed? Otherwise you wind up with
> a document that gets lost 20 minutes after it is finished.
>
> If you do not feel comfortable with me doing this, then someone else
> take the responsibility to smash all the responses into a food grinder
> and come out with something useful, readable, literate, and worthwhile.
>
> Or is this group simply a collection of talkers unprepared to take
> the responsibility of ensuring that what they know gets documented and
> used. There are 50,000,000 ergs of knowledge on this list for any
> given topic and no one is summarizing it in some useable fasion. If
> you wanted to find out the KLARINET position on any topic do you think
> you could do so by using the search feature? It might help a little,
> but you would probably miss far too much.
>
> OK folks. Put your money where your mouth is. And since I would have
> the most difficult job, I'll nominate myself for sainthood!
>
> --
> Dan Leeson
> leeson0@-----.net
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
> Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
> Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
> Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
