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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!gargoyle!oddjob!matt
From: matt@oddjob.UUCP (Matt Crawford)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: What Do You Do?
Message-ID: <864@oddjob.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Jul-85 17:05:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: oddjob.864
Posted: Mon Jul 22 17:05:48 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Jul-85 05:14:02 EDT
References: <1030@trwatf.UUCP> <33100024@ISM780.UUCP> <3133@cornell.UUCP> <753@drume.UUCP> <564@rtech.UUCP>
Reply-To: matt@oddjob.UUCP (Matt Crawford)
Organization: U. Chicago, Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lines: 35
Summary: 

daveb@rtech.UUCP (Dave Brower) says that he explains is occupation
in this general manner:

> 	q:  What do you do?
> 
> 	a:  I try to see if it's possible for computers to do what you
> 	    want you want them to.
> 
> 	q:  How do you do that?
> 
> 	a:  Well, the same way you can call shapes "squares"
> 	    and "circles," we try to find categories for different
> 	    computers. ...

I think you are going to really offend someone someday by starting
with this patronizing attitude.  I like to start off with a dialog
to find out the appropriate level for an explanation.  (Some people
who are not involved in physical sciences turn out to know a bit
about physics anyway.)  This also helps me find out whether the other
person really wants to know what I do or whether it was just a con-
versational question.

(small gripe follows)
Why is this in net.singles?  Is social conversation considered a
skill solely for application to potential romantic partners?  For
that matter, why all the discussion of constructive logic and
reasons to study calculus?  Some people seem to think that anything
a single person might do is subject matter for net.singles.
(end of gripe)

On the other hand, this newsgroup can claim a better average of
adhering to its charter than many other newsgroups.  Keep up the
soul-baring and support!  Power to the net-parties!

				Matt Crawford