Some year I’ll get back to Access–and DanDale’s comment reminds me of why I found it worthwhile.

It makes me so happy that my ranting made some sense, and that it didn’t hack you off. Perhaps I’m just too enamored of Socratic inquiry, but I don’t think anything comes of sugarcoating one’s criticism or points. There are rules of engagement–don’t level personal attacks, don’t be gratuitously facetious, etc.–but these don’t have to put a gag on candor, opinions, and disagreement. I cringe when I go to library conferences and some publisher or vendor gives a talk that leaves wide openings for criticism, and the questions that come are of the “thanks for your talk, it gives me something to think about” puffball type. And we (academic librarians, at least) often fancy ourselves faculty?! The shame.