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From: lewandow@sabertooth.cs.wisc.edu (Gary Lewandowski (TA of Doom))
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Another goodbye
Message-ID: <9560@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 19 Jan 90 17:11:04 GMT
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Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Department
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Jerry made the comment that he thinks his empathic skills have rusted.  I
would like to express the thought that I believe the 'problem' may be a 
number of other things.

Like him, I've worked on a hotline, and I'm currently looking for a new one
to join.  For awhile I thought Callahan's would be the sort of medium which
was an electronic hotline.  But I find that when I read someone's article
I can't here the pauses, the non-expressed emotions; can't get immediate
clarification on what I didn't quite understand; worse of all, for me, no one
can hear my little noises.

Sometimes I can click right off with an article and I think I understand the
emotions and I can empathize, but even then that doesn't mean I can help
the poster work through the problem.  It's hard to post an article that I
think will really help or really express my empathy, and that's the frustration
I have in reading callahans, and why I don't post much.

Another aspect of the problem (for someone used to a phone line) is that you
get to see a large number of problems simultaneously, as well as other people's
responses to that problem.  Volume makes it hard to respond as well.

Well, I'm not giving up yet.  I'm going to think about a way to really be 
useful through posting, and I'm trying email for the more personal contact I
think I need to really empathize with people.

Other thoughts on this?

p.s. I'd also like to echo the plea for less repetition of previously posted
articles when you respond.  The sheer length makes it hard to read.

--
				gary
			lewandow@cs.wisc.edu

     "It's too late to correct it," said the Red Queen.