Confused? Help Wanted/No Help Wanted

[James Richard Tyrer]

Nathan Olberding wrote:
> Your help is appreciated, but please, if you think someone is being 
> arrogant or wrong, remember that we're all communicating through text
>  (and not all of us speak great English,

Sorry, can't resist saying this.  Some of the people (including me) that
don't speak great English are Americans. :-)

When I was in college, the guy across the hall was from Cambodia and he 
spoke perfect English with a slight French accent.  But, every so often 
he would come to me for an explanation of what something written in 
American English meant.

> much less other languages).

Yes, you don't want to see me attempt German.

> If there's a misunderstanding, it's not usually because someone's 
> being a jerk;

Actually, I don't think that a certain someone is being a jerk.  I meant
the limited technical meaning of 'arrogance' without it being a serious
insult.  I offer the suggestion: "Don't be arrogant when dealing with
subordinates" as some good management advice.

And, I know that I can be arrogant but I am usually the overbearing 
perfectionist type of arrogant rather than the presumptuous 'I know 
better than you do' kind.

> it's the sad truth about the communications medium. Most people on 
> these lists are great people, and misunderstandings wouldn't happen 
> as often, I think, if we all worked together in person.

You are probably correct about this.  For one thing, it is easier to
argue about something in person.  But, in the case of the corner Panel
issue, when I thought I wasn't understood, I did give a long
explanation and my take on the reply was it was simply, 'you are
wrong'.  But, I am not wrong about what I said and I have seen no 
counter argument that the other possibility is actually better.  Much of 
this is not about what is right and what is wrong, but rather about 
which alternative is easier for the users to work with.

My desktop is actually set up that way and the workaround is to do it
backwards: first I move the mouse to unhide the Panel that I don't want
and them I move it up or over to unhide the one that I do want while
keeping the mouse on the one that you don't want to so it doesn't auto 
hide and then click the button on the end of the Panel.  You don't need 
a study to see that there is a problem.

In any case, we need to discuss such issues.  If more people join the 
argument, they might have a better idea.  Cutting off a discussion with 
a presumptuous statement doesn't promote improvement of the product.

-- 
JRT