3 ms·
> You, reader, put this matter to a test: You are sitting now in your office—six clerks are within your call. Summon any one and make this request: “Please loo
by lexicality 10y ago
> You, reader, put this matter to a test: You are sitting now in your office—six clerks are within your call. Summon any one and make this request: “Please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Corregio.” Will the clerk quietly say, “Yes, sir,” and go do the task? On your life, he will not.
I had a boss like that, he was an asshole.
The idea that the ideal worker (especially in the information industry) is one that will do what you ask without asking questions or requiring explanation is extremely narcissistic.
You don't somehow become a better person than everyone else just because you managed to start a business.
- mistersquid 10y agoThe author of the article also makes a critical mistake in the just-so example you cite, writing >And I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered >the questions, and explained how to find the information, >and why you want it, the clerk will go off and get one of >the other clerks to help him find Garcia - and then come > ^^^^^^ >back and tell you there is no such man. Of course I may lose >my bet, but according to the Law of Average, I will not. The historical figure the clerks were told to look for with imprecise identifiers and no business context is "Corregio", not "Garcia". The author supplanted the subject of research with the mythical "Garcia" but even that metaphorical substitution is problematic because if Corregio:Garcia::research:letter then really all the clerks need do is return to the requester and say "I found Corregio". It rhetorically opens the question of whether Rowan found Garcia or merely found "a" Garcia. EDIT: subject verb agreement in first sentence. Add qualifying phrase in second sentence.