Barry, Great topic! I have a few additions to your guidelines: * A sense of humor helps so long as it does not distract too much from the question. * Present the question in such a way that it will be of interest to members of the list and within the guidelines. If you can't do this then the question does not belong on the list. * Avoid cross-posting. * A challenge as part of the content showing that you have done your homework often helps. I.E. I've found this and that, can anybody add to my knowledge. * Check and mention that you have checked the list archives to see if your question has been asked before. * An offer to share a compilation of results from all sources is also sometimes helpful. * Brief is usually better. Let us know what else you find out... Charlie In Dissertation Hell LSU - Instructional Technology -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Barry Wellman Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 7:25 PM To: aoir list Subject: [Air-l] writing effective questions to lists I'm gearing up to write a book on writing for the social scientists. I want to put in something about how to write in listservs, chat groups, IM, etc. I was struck this week by Abigail's Q (see below) which I thought was a good example on how NOT to answer a question, because it was so broadly framed: what is it about time that Abigail is interested in? (dissertation advising manta). Yet, I have been struck by how much interesting discussion Abigail's Q has evoked. For one thing, there ain't much on time (altho did anyone mention Evitar Zeruvabel?), so anything might be worthwhile. Second, the broadness of the Q seems to have served as a projective test -- evoking a variety of responses. So, I am lead to wonder and to ask: what tips do people have for posting to lists? My quick guide is: 1. Be specific as to content and need. 2. Lurk on the list for a while to get a sense of its style. 3. Try to post something else first, so that you are contributing as well as asking for information. PS: I'd like to endorse Frank Thomas' request for evidence on Virillo's conjectures. Barry Wellman _____________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology NetLab Director Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 wellman at chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman for fun: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _____________________________________________________________________ On 12/7/06, Abigail Groves wrote:
Hi all, I am writing about the internet and its effects on time. I was
wondering
if anyone could suggest some readings on this topic?
Thanks,
Abigail Groves
PhD Candidate National Centre in HIV Social Research University of NSW http://nchsr.unsw.edu.au
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