[xtm-wg] Q: "Why has no one read my paper?!"

[Sam Hunting <sam_hunting@yahoo.com>]

Hi--

One of the statements I've been reading a lot on
the list is more or less:

    * "Why haven't you read my paper, where I have
       already disposed of this difficulty?!?!?!"
       
Me too, I confess.

Well, one reason is that all of us are very pressed
for time. Another reason is that the papers are
scattered, and were in any case distributed over 
the entire life-cycle of the XTM project. Yet another
reason may be the usual data format problems
that come with computer distribution in any format
other than ASCII or *ML. 

Finally, of course, there is the possibility that
potential readers are convinced that they already have
disposed of the difficulty themselves, and believe
(however misguidedly) that they have no reason to 
read your paper.

What to do?

    (0) Continue to complain that no one reads
        your papers.

    (1) Consider posting the paper to the e-groups
        files area, so there is a central location
        for lazy people like me to go look.
        
    (2) Consider posting an ABSTRACT of your paper
        to the list, briefly discussing the problems
        it solves, with particular reference to the
        issues being currently discussed on the
        list, especially requirements. Perhaps it
        should be a thread on its own. Then go to
        step (1).
        
Note that approach (2) is far more likely to gain
a hearing than approach (1). Such are the vagaries
of email. Since the key problem is persuading people
who already believe they have The Answer that they,
in fact, don't, either approach (1) or (2) is more 
likely to succeed than approach (0).

S.

P.S. Approaches like Jack or Sunthar suggests are probably
more elegant and powerful than an e-mail list, but I'm
afraid we're trapped in e-mail for now. It's just to
hard to move people to another forum.

=====
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     - Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations -->

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