self-descriptions

Russ Hunt (HUNT who-is-at academic.stu.StThomasU.ca)
Fri, 26 Sep 1997 21:05:47 AST

I'm probably the only person who thinks this, but . . . I _never_
read the self-descriptions -- on this or other lists. I wait to see
if the person's going to participate, and I judge who she is and what
her interests are by her participation. But this is, perhaps, a
micro-instance of a larger issue, that people might think there's a
disemodied entity who might respond to that posting like an English
teacher . . .

> If it isn't clear to people who join that it's an automatic
> procedure in spite of it's two-step character -- if they think the
> "clerk" will answer their questions so they can tidy up the doc
> before submitting it "for real" THEN it's not a very good
> procedure, is it?

I think that's quite right. And I think Eva's half-right here:

> Sorry for embarrassing Ellen, though. Never liked going through
> that entrance ceremony myself, although it's nice to have the
> self-descriptions of others.

I don't think it's so nice, and I didn't like it either. It's just
fine to have self-descriptions _available_ (on a website or archive),
but, well, it feels to me like they should be -- sorry about going
back to this language again -- pull technology rather than push.
Normally -- in my experience, anyway -- someone doesn't enter a
conversation by announcing who she is and and what she's interested
in.

-- Russ
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