Conference quark::human_relations-v1

    some of my noting obsessions:
    � reading all the replies before saying anything myself (got mad
      once when someone replied a lot without reading any of the preceeding
      replies)
    � trying not to add "common wisdom" (aka platitudes)
    � not replying more than once in a row (don't you hate finding out
      the next 3 replies are from the same person?)
    
    But I'm no old-noter...
    
    Lee

    
    	So, I'm not the only one who checks door locks n times?
    
    Sometimes, as I would a magazine, I read last page toward the
    beginning.
    
    	Joe Jas
    

    
    As in all aspects of my life, I consider all that has been offered,
    I contemplate what was said, think about what I might offer
    and then stick my foot in my mouth.
    

    Read all the replies and then - if it is still appropriate -
    answer.
    
    Bonnie

    With so many notesfiles, and with so many replies (some 3000+ in
    some conferences) it's impossible read everything once I first open
    a conference.
    
    So I normally add a new conference, then SET SEEN, then try to get
    a directory and see what interests me. I usually try to read all
    the replies in a topic, but I sometimes lose the thread - 100 replies
    can be daunting.
    
    Pete.

When reading a note with a lot of replies, I:

NOTES>EXTRACT /BUFFER /SEEN T .*
NOTES>REPLY
EVE>OTHER BUFFER
EVE>BUFFER T
EVE>OTHER BUFFER

to reply to all the previous replies at once.  I read, and write a response to
each reply before reading the rest of the replies, but generate only one long
REPLY with all my responses in it.  It someone agrees with one of my responses
in the later replies, I agree with them, but leave my repsonse in if it
contributes anything unique. 

This also saves a lot of time, because I can be doing something else while the
replies are being extracted enmass.

I think another factor is how often you go back and look for replies.  If you do
it more then once a day, you are more likely to get your words in first.  Often
a note degenerates to a two party argument as each party replies every hour back
and forth.  10 replies might pile up before anybody else gets a chance to get a
word in edgewise. 

Jim. 

    I basically read notes according to interest. I won't even select
    a topic unless it holds some interest for me. If I am interested,
    I will read all the reply's written so far before I make one myself.
    I do this for a couple of reasons I guess. One, is to get an idea
    of the direction of the conversation before I jump in, and the second
    is to make sure someone else hasn't already expressed what I would
    say. A third reason would be to be able to respond to particular
    reply's in my reply.
    
    Steve

    
    good timing!
    just got through next unseening 400,535,645,674,354,642,197 times!
    
    notes number 25, 149, 392, 400, 260, 356, 358, 360, 379, 407, 198,
    and 408....
    	were all, basically, about marriage!
    	and since far too often the replies are...
    	"marraige is better than winnign the lottery and if you get
    married you should stay married or die trying cus god will get you!"
    (any read *the handmaids tale* yet?)
    	or the whole content is about how neurotically upset we (not
    me!) absolutely must be when facing divorce!
    	i did a lot of net unseening...
    
    	i usually get into notes for a week or so, an hour or so a day...
    	then i get fed up with the neurotic, old-fashioned, never changing
    attitudes of far too many noters and i get out for a month or so...
    	then, after i've reached the conclusion that i'm dealing with,
    socially speaking, children and that i should just feel good about
    the fact that i've grown far beyond these people (ok, not ALL of
    you...but so many...so many...)...and i come back for 2 reasons...
    	1. to give my point of view so that those people who aren't
    so pigheaded and neurotic that they are beyond help/hope may see
    that they can rise above the mediocre...
    	2. have a few laughs
    
    	

    
    
    	i'll read all the replies before entering my own, then--
    1.  nail the sonuvagun if it's too wimpy of a topic
    2.  put in a sincere and serious reply if it hits home without getting
        all too corny 
    3.  last and most fav reply is comedy when it's totally off the
        wall and i haven't the slightest idea what's going on. some
        of these noters can speak a forked tongue you know. this is
        all in fun remember
    

    I think there are a couple of things that bother about notes:
    
    Basically they are:
    	notes that are too short (and don't really contribute)
    	notes that are too long (I don't have time to read War and Peace)
    
    The long notes usually don't end up saying much more than the short
    ones anyway.
    
    One more thing.  I wish people could realize that they have made
    their point with one reply.  Most of us really don't like to "listen"
    to petty arguments.

    
    I appreciate those who compress what they have to say
    into a couple of paragraphs. 
    
    Blunt language will usually get my attention. Some notes
    are so circumloquacious that I get crosseyed trying to plough
    through. Anything over a page better be pretty damned good 
    for me to read it. 
    
    Sometimes I have a taste for learned discourse; other times
    there's nothing like a good brawl... especially when there are
    firecrackers to toss into fireworks stands.

I prefer notes to remain a page in length... I almost never read anything
longer.

(Unless, it is quite exceptional.)

Ken

    After the last few replies came up with my hitting "Next Unseen",
    I decided to go back to the basenote to see what the original topic
    was.
    
    I'm almost embarassed (almost, mind you) to acknowledge that I had
    forgotten that *I* had written the basenote.
    
    Well, I guess that happens when almost a year and a zillion notes/
    replies have gone by the board. :-)
    
      Alan

    re .12
    
    can someone tell me HOW to insert linefeeds?

    tony

    Just type control-L.

    Re: .16
    
    Unless you're using EVE for your editor, in which case you need
    to type control-V control-L.

    ...unless you're using EDT as your editor, in which case
    you:        
    
    1. Press PF1  
    2. Type in the number 12
    3. Press PF1 again
    4. Press KP3