24th October 2011, 05:06 PM
RedEarth Wrote:Which parts of a typical report are you defining as boring? All of it? Some of it? The methodology might be a bit dull, even some of the results perhaps, but presumably not the discussiony/conclusiony bit? (unless absolutely nothing is found) All these bits have purpose within the report - you have to imagine someone reading it in 50 years time, or 1000 years time. How annoyed would they be if it was just a two page summary of the 'interesting' bits (as defined at the time) and nothing else.
Is your follow-up question going to be 'why bother with an archive' or 'why keep any of the finds'? If that's the attitude then why bother at all?
if we are only writing this boring stuff for each other we wont have a future
our purpose needs to be more than maintaining employment in an indifferent world
why should everybody else pay for us if we cant give them anything they can see as either interesting or useful (calling punters dumb if they dont get it - wont cut it)
there has to be an appreciation that we cant keep churning out endless reports that nobody will ever read or we are doomed (i tell ya - doomed)
and as for archives - there is no future there for dead sure
If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers