"Lee Michaels" wrote in message
.com...

I mean, really, who sets out to build wobbly crap? Either you don't know
any better or you just don't care.

To expand upon this a bit. I think there is also a resource component to
these decisions... Generally, people would like book shelves made of the
most suitable materials with proven construction methods. However, the
reality is many lack deep enough pockets to make it happen... The competing
agendas of satisfying the needs for food, shelter, clothing, transportation,
education and entertainment command a higher weight in the allocation of
their finite financial resources than do book shelves. In those cases a
complete Ikea or Saunder unit, that may cost in total as much as one nice
cherry board, becomes the choice by economic necessity. Here it's a case of
satisficing versus optimizing and it can still be considered a rational
decision.

As you suggest, there is another group whom has the resources but not the
knowledge. That is where folks like us can help educate them. Perhaps not in
a know-it-all way but by example. The story here about the sturdy shelves
that people notice is a good example of that... Together the satisficing and
unknowledgeable may be guided to better, yet cost effective, solutions to
their furniture needs by folks here.

The don't cares... well... they may not be worth the breath or bytes.
However, maybe they would care if they understood better, which takes us
back to the above.

I've been giving a lot of thought to issues like this recently as concerns
my involvement with various organizations and their seemingly competing
agendas. Where I see a tremendous amount of commonality in my activities
others focus like a laser on what I see as relatively small differences that
can be ignored or influenced through discussion. I think we rec'ers can be
educators and transferors of knowledge, not only within the rec but to the
other circles in which we live.

Anyhow... enough of this thinking in bytes stuff for now. ;~)

John