Lee Passey wrote:
... Rather the problem [Jim] identified is that somehow the current production processes allow /any and all/ projects to become backed up in that queue. Given that problem statement, I would have liked to have seen something more like one of the following responses:
[Lee's four hypothetical responses omitted]
Instead we saw a response more along the lines of:
[Paraphrase of my actual response omitted] I addressed Jim's issue here solely because gutvol-d is where he raised it.
It seems to me that this kind of response is designed, in fact, to ignore the issue at hand, which is that changes need to be made at D.P. to increase the throughput of e-texts.
I don't believe that there is anyone at DP at any level of participation who is unaware of the need for improvements in the process. However, the variously proposed "solutions" run the gamut from the obviously naive/simplistic, through horribly manual kludges, all the way up to byzantine complexities requiring considerable effort from the entire volunteer base. Your statement even reflects a common barrier to getting a grip on the issues: "to increase the throughput of e-texts" is actually a statement of goal. While increasing the throughput of the process should be and is a component of DP's long-term goals, the specific problems and their underlying causes need to be identified first in order to effectively address them.
Now it very well may be that this problem has already been recognized by The Powers That Be, and that a solution will be in place Real Soon Now. In that case, wouldn't it have been better to just say so?
I'm certain some of these problems have been identified and the underlying causes and potential solutions are being examined, but I'm equally certain that no consensus can be achieved within the DP community as to what the causes are, much less what solutions are feasible, achievable, or even desirable. Whatever solutions do eventually result, interim or otherwise, some fraction of volunteers at DP will disagree. By no means am I ignoring the broader issues at DP--but I feel those are usually better discussed in a more appropriate venue. Overall, experience has shown that any discussion of DP on gutvol-d generally and unfortunately serves little productive purpose. While positive and insightful comments do occur, (and are read and appreciated!), they are easily lost in the background of posts which far too often contain derision, belittlement, accusation, and misrepresentation. One almost wonders whatever happened to basic respect. But then I remember the synergistic relationship between media and popular culture (of which old books are an excellent reminder). :) David (donovan)