>> The Net vs. Uneducated Posters on Mailing Lists. The charge: failing to trim the message you're responding to, failing to take off-topic banter to private email, and getting indignant in the face of private gentle correction.
They think instead through the programmers eyes, about how they think the program will be used, not how it is actually used.
This is an easy trap to fall into; you're getting much of your information from those programmers, after all. And while I don't think it's the norm, I know there are definitely companies where the writers can't get their hands on the actual product (or code base) early on or at all. I would absolutely hate working at a place like that.
Call us the next time you're in the Los Angeles area!
That doesn't happen often, but it turns out the winter session of the Sh'liach K'hillah program is going to be at the LA campus of HUC. It runs from noon on a Friday through noon on a Sunday (short session, not like the summer ones); I assume that means I'll have to fly in on that Thursday night. I'd be delighted to spend that evening with you guys if the scheduling works out. (It's in February; I don't have the dates handy.)
Do you think we could get a petition to him, create him a LiveJournal account, and perhaps
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Let me know which weekend in February. I was debating going down to the regional biennial, but I don't know exactly when that is. But getting together Thursday night should be possible. Let me know the details and contact info at faigin -at cahighways.org when you have them.
3. What is your favorite Torah portion, and why? This is hard, because there just isn't a single clear favorite.
This reminds me of something that a Rabbi at my shul[1] says whenever he gives a D'var Torah: "This week's parsha is my favorite parsha in the Torah!" (Or some variation thereof)
I think his point is that it's all wonderful.
Having said that, I think you picked some good 'uns.
[1] There are lots of Rabbis who go to my shul; this is a Rabbi, not the Rabbi. :-)
"This week's parsha is my favorite parsha in the Torah!"
For the most part I agree, but I'll bet he's not as convincing for, say, Metzora. :-) Yeah, you can find good stuff in all of 'em, but sometimes it requires extra work...
General comment: that's one of the most interesting instances of the interview meme I've seen. Congrats to both of you, on good questions and answers.
Maybe my combination of skills (technical and writing) is that unusual?
Ah, but there's a third element: philosophical conviction about what you're doing. I know plenty of people who have both technical skills and writing chops, but far fewer who actually understand the *utility* of that combination.
On Question 2: while I don't really have the fundamental faith to quite join into any organized religion (even the relatively disorganized ones), you do manage to make Reform Judaism sound more interesting than most of the alternatives. I have a lot of respect for the philosophical underpinnings you describe, which are quite different from the stereotype of the movement.
And I must say, this:
You are not obligated to complete the task, but neither are you free from starting it.
could practically be a personal motto for me. There's a lot of resonance there...
General comment: that's one of the most interesting instances of the interview meme I've seen.
Thanks!
Tech writing: that's an excellent point. (That might be what I was trying to tag as passion.) I certainly know many technically-proficient people who are good writers but have chosen to be programmers instead; I'm not trying to say that others can't write too.
Question 2: thanks. A few people have told me that my writings here have led them to take Reform Judaism more seriously; I wonder if I can bottle that. :-) I mean, I'm just one person who writes on LJ and mailing lists and sometimes affects other people, and I'm glad I'm able to have that impact, but I wonder if there are things that can be done to engage more people in that sort of discussion -- more people than one person like me can reach. Should I be doing something more? If so, what? (It's largely a rhetorical question, though if people have ideas I'm certainly open to them.)
There's a lot of resonance there...Yeah, here too. :-) Pirke Avot, by the way, is
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Amen v'amen!
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This is an easy trap to fall into; you're getting much of your information from those programmers, after all. And while I don't think it's the norm, I know there are definitely companies where the writers can't get their hands on the actual product (or code base) early on or at all. I would absolutely hate working at a place like that.
Call us the next time you're in the Los Angeles area!
That doesn't happen often, but it turns out the winter session of the Sh'liach K'hillah program is going to be at the LA campus of HUC. It runs from noon on a Friday through noon on a Sunday (short session, not like the summer ones); I assume that means I'll have to fly in on that Thursday night. I'd be delighted to spend that evening with you guys if the scheduling works out. (It's in February; I don't have the dates handy.)
Do you think we could get a petition to him, create him a LiveJournal account, and perhaps ( ... )
Reply
Reply
This is hard, because there just isn't a single clear favorite.
This reminds me of something that a Rabbi at my shul[1] says whenever he gives a D'var Torah: "This week's parsha is my favorite parsha in the Torah!" (Or some variation thereof)
I think his point is that it's all wonderful.
Having said that, I think you picked some good 'uns.
[1] There are lots of Rabbis who go to my shul; this is a Rabbi, not the Rabbi. :-)
Reply
For the most part I agree, but I'll bet he's not as convincing for, say, Metzora. :-) Yeah, you can find good stuff in all of 'em, but sometimes it requires extra work...
Reply
Maybe my combination of skills (technical and writing) is that unusual?
Ah, but there's a third element: philosophical conviction about what you're doing. I know plenty of people who have both technical skills and writing chops, but far fewer who actually understand the *utility* of that combination.
On Question 2: while I don't really have the fundamental faith to quite join into any organized religion (even the relatively disorganized ones), you do manage to make Reform Judaism sound more interesting than most of the alternatives. I have a lot of respect for the philosophical underpinnings you describe, which are quite different from the stereotype of the movement.
And I must say, this:
You are not obligated to complete the task, but neither are you free from starting it.
could practically be a personal motto for me. There's a lot of resonance there...
Reply
Thanks!
Tech writing: that's an excellent point. (That might be what I was trying to tag as passion.) I certainly know many technically-proficient people who are good writers but have chosen to be programmers instead; I'm not trying to say that others can't write too.
Question 2: thanks. A few people have told me that my writings here have led them to take Reform Judaism more seriously; I wonder if I can bottle that. :-) I mean, I'm just one person who writes on LJ and mailing lists and sometimes affects other people, and I'm glad I'm able to have that impact, but I wonder if there are things that can be done to engage more people in that sort of discussion -- more people than one person like me can reach. Should I be doing something more? If so, what? (It's largely a rhetorical question, though if people have ideas I'm certainly open to them.)
There's a lot of resonance there...Yeah, here too. :-) Pirke Avot, by the way, is ( ... )
Reply
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