Steve Firth wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:

But these sorts of
conversation on usenet are somewhat dominated by self-selecting people
who are comfortable with using email, rather than having face to face
meetings.

I grow increasingly exasperated by those who only seem able to work on
the phone/face to face. Meetings are usually a great big waste of time,
and usually exist only to stroke the ego of whoever arranged the
meeting. I've been doing "meetings" more than thirty years. I really
can't recall any that produced results worth having or that hadn't
already been decided long before the meeting was convened.

I used to write the minutes of all the meetings I was forced to hold in
advance of the meeting. I rarely even had to edit them, since the
statements and reactions of every individual participant were
predictable and lets face it as the organiser all decisions were going
to be made my way no matter what. Just as every other chair of any other
meeting always had their own way.

I'm having to travel later this week for a "meeting" that could be done
by email, it's going to take three days and involve about 30
individuals. Each will get just a few minutes to get their point across.
Whereas if the conference were virtual each person could contribute a
full day's work to the issue still have plenty o time for discussion and
decisions and save 60 vehicle movements plus 60 days in hotels.


Oh don't knock meetings too much. I once did one of the best drawings of
my deceased dog, William, from memory in a meeting... I treasure it still.