Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bionet!kristoff
From: kristoff@genbank.bio.net (David Kristofferson)
Newsgroups: bionet.molbio.genome-program
Subject: Re: TIME WELL SPENT
Message-ID: <Oct.22.10.50.19.1990.16980@genbank.bio.net>
Date: 22 Oct 90 17:50:20 GMT
References: <9010211853.AA22092@genbank.bio.net>
Organization: GenBank Online Service
Lines: 33

Dan,

I still fondly recall talking to the head of a mol. biol.  department
on the phone about BIONET (the former timesharing service, not the
newsgroups) and being told about computer users that "There is always
someone in every lab that would rather !@#$%^&*$ around with computers
than work."  This person was in a position to influence expenditures
on computer systems too unfortunately.  In so far as some people do
use computing as an "escape," there might be a germ of truth in what
he said, but this germ unfortunately develops into a pandemic of
computer avoidance in all too many cases.

Arguing about the benefits of computers with someone who hates them
(regardless of their age) may as fruitful as discussing religion with
someone of a different, but strongly held faith.  My advice is to try
to get something concrete from the network which benefits your
experimental work.  The METHODS-AND-REAGENTS newsgroup
(bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts) is probably the most likely spot to
begin.  If you can find something there that your advisor was not
aware of and which also helps you in your experiments, you might have
a convert.

You also note correctly that an extended discussion of this topic is
probably not appropriate for the Genome newsgroup.  I would continue
on either BIO-MATRIX (bionet.molbio.bio-matrix) or on BIONAUTS
(bionet.users.addresses).
-- 
				Sincerely,

				Dave Kristofferson
				GenBank Manager

				kristoff@genbank.bio.net