On 5/1/2013 3:43 PM, John Grossbohlin wrote:
"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

There is one more segment that you didn't talk about, those that have
the means, but replace things every few years to change things up. They
are the fashionable types, and for them it's better to keep up then
spend on the better. The classics never go out of style...


--
Jeff