Re: GEN: New LM-netters

[Dan Robinson <dlrbnsn2@eclipse.net>]

Kevin, I'm afraid you have some mis-conceptions about what indexing
(even when done by professional indexers) can accomplish.

On  1 Oct 99 at 15:12, Kevin T. Clement wrote:

> Yes, there is an archive.  Unfortunately, I have to disagree about the
> archives not being hard to search.  I have used the archives many times
> and usually find that my time is wasted because the answers I am looking
> for are not there.

I did say 'Not that hard'...  it does take some getting used to.  But
it's a good place to start and mention when you post.  I think you'll
find that as you get going in a position in a school library, more
answers to your questions will appear.  (sort of like Mark Twain and
his father).

>
> Also the subject titles do not always provide a clue to what the message
> is and so when one does a search for key words, one receives a multitude
> of false hits.  I recently did a search on book care.  And out of 97 hits,
> only 7 were of any use to me.  That is not a great percentage.

Hmm,  I've had percentages near 80-100% usefulness on some searches.
Indexers (or indexing programs) can't guarantee that what is
available will suit your needs.   I've also had 0% useful hits
<grin>.   (and 27 of those 97 were on book care and kindergarteners.
i think a new librarian facing classes of kindergarteners just
waiting to tear into the books would be quite pleased)

>
> I realize some do not want to do the research, but to automatically assume
> that they are not is not a great rule of thumb.  Plus I have been on the
> listserv for about a year and the archive being available didn't hit me
> until this past August. After August, I have received e-mail from members
> of the list who have responded to my questions under the assumption I
> haven't even made attempt after I spent hours scouring the archives.

As I said before, mention a search of the archives in your request.
If you don't tell us where your search took you, we can assume
anything we want to.  As for the time spent in the archives, I've
been learning this new one for longer than 2 or 3 months.  I've not
found a webbed archive that is easy to search yet, but this one is a
bit more advanced than most of the others.

>
> I apologize for my rambling style.  And my comments about the archives are
> not to say it isn't useful but that it isn't that easy to search.  This is
> not the fault of any programming but due to the fact that the entrie are
> being submitted by people who are not always using a distinct vocabulary
> as would a professional indexer.

A professional indexer would not use controlled vocabularies in
subject lines for discussion lists. First, everyone would have to
agree on the vocabulary to be used. (hint, don't use LC, since it
doesn't have most of the detailed concepts used in modern school
libraries).  Second, you would have to write your message, then read
it over, and decide on the subject words. Then you would have to
search the archives to make sure that similar messages use the same
subject words. After all, you want to bring similar concepts and
similar messages  together.   I don't think this lends itself to fast
and easy messaging on a discussion list. It sounds more like a job.

>
> Thanks for listening
>
> Kevin Clement
> MLIS graduate student
> University of North Carolina Greensboro
> ktclemen@uncg.edu
>

Finally, I've written this as a professional indexer.  I indexed for
Education Index for eight years, then moved to publication specs,
database conversions and quality assurance for those conversions,
both inhouse and for our vendors.

Dan Robinson
Indexing Services
H.W. Wilson Company
Bronx, NY
drobinson@hwwilson.com
dlrbnsn2@eclipse.net

>

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