context.

Thought I would share some (maybe) insight I'm working through. Ever meet that "too much information, thanks for sharing!" person? I know I have. Been that person too, and never really understood why.

All of us have bumped into that boundry, from time to time, and most of us just accept it, then move on, fearful of crossing it at the wrong time.

This then is one of those damn fear based norms!

Been working on trying to put some stuff down on paper --lots of stuff. Technical, social, etc...

The core problem ends up not being fear, but context!

The key to telling a story to others is context! I know it's simple, but it's extremely meaningful to me now as it provides a tool to rationally work through these kinds of problems --and a tool where one can pass along anti-cluelessnes to your kids, without having to go through tons of examples and social toe-stubbing.

Context, in this sense of it, is all about shared experiences that provide a means for all parties to relate on some level. Without it, the person experiences information shock! It's literally hard to process, even though the information presented is rational and probably valuable.

So then all good stories, or sharing of information really do need to build off of themes that run common to the parties involved.

The stronger this context, the more intense and real the exchange becomes.

IMHO, this is also what binds a community such as ours and many others. We have a shared context. We can write things, knowing the others know about them and that's a conversation as opposed to a series of discrete postings on stuff.

Related to radio, it's also that which forms the bond between broadcaster and listener! And I think most of us know that on some level.

Here's the cool part. If you end up in one of these situations where it's difficult to form expressions, whatever kind... it is possible to rationally analyze context and break the block! It's not just an emotional thing, or fear thing, but a failure to assemble kind of thing.

That's it. Just thought I would share that.

Having been asked many "technical" questions in my various broadcast jobs it is always a tough call as to whether to drown the questioner in a bunch of geekspeak that won't bring a higher level of understanding or take the answer and put it into context by drawing sometimes imprecise analogies. For example, electrical potential and current as H20 pressure and flow. Better yet, referring to a simple ripple tank experiment to explain RF propagation and interference. Sometimes it works, especially in person where visual cues can be used. Not so much so on the discussion board not only because of the lack of visual aids, but the larger audience beyond the questioner whom may or may not process the question or answer in the same context as the original questioner. My point is that in the current environment of internet social energies, bringing about high levels of synergy is a challenge. I always try to remember a few guidelines:
1. Size up the audience. When I was a disc jockey in the old days, my audience was hungry for new quality music. I thrived on the interaction. It took a long time for me to learn that if the phone wasn't ringing it didn't mean nobody was listening, it meant that I was doing a good job. Later, as an engineer, the rest of the staff becomes your audience. It is a lot tougher to size up the level of understanding a petitioner really wants. For example, when the boss says "I drove through the Wombat valley last night and our signal kept fading. Why is that?" I mean there are a dozen answers to that question. Does the boss want a dissertation on propagation? I don't think so. My standard reply "I'll look into it and get back to you." Check the facts. It may be the best answer is simply "Mt. Mecca is in the way." Conversely, when the PD calls me into the control room one day and says "Channel 8 is cutting out," and upon pulling the module out evidence that someone spilled a coke into the console is revealed, no explanation is needed. Later, when the culprit is cornered and the worm tries to defend his actions with "everything still worked so I saw no need to tell anyone" it seemed pretty useless to point out that "Coke conducts." So keeping answers in context for broader understanding is not always a solution if the unschooled wishes to remain in denial.
Does this make sense?
2. Don't overuse humor.
3. Be humble, even if you know a lot more about the answer to the question then you need to express.
4. Don't blame it on Microsoft more than half the time. There was a time before Microsoft when we blamed it on IBM and RCA.
5. Save the "cold solder joint" theory for when you're really stuck for an answer.
6. Respect the program director even if he is not only just a shill for corporate but also has his head up his ass.
7. Never tell a caller to your show that they are stupid and their request will never be played. Always say "I'll try to get to that eventually, but I've got more requests than I can fill already.
8. Even though radio broadcasting has little to no respect for people, if you work there, don't cop that 'tude. It won't serve you well in the future.

@Andy: Excellent points, old friend!