I hate flowcharts

[alexiscartwheel]

Seriously, why are there so many flowcharts in my reading? LIS people are apparently in love with drawing diagrams of their theoretical models and I DON'T GET IT!

I'm sure this must be some sort of learning style mis-match thing, but it makes me feel very stupid. I just see boxes and arrows that I can't decipher. What's wrong with just writing about what's going on instead of just drawing a bunch of arrows?

ETA: Also, there are too many acronyms and abbreviations to keep straight. Then even the words don't have meaning. Argh.

ETA2: I forgot about xkcd's Guide to Understanding Flow Charts. I wish the ones in my articles were this simple! Yeah, back to work or whatever.

Comments

[ex-jo-blogs.livejournal.com]

I am so with you on annoying diagrams of theoretical models.

[stubefied-by-gd.livejournal.com]

My theory is that one day, someone important somewhere discovered they liked flowcharts, and whenever anyone submitted anything to them, they said, "Needs more flowcharts," which led all those people to believe that flowcharts were necessary, so that when they became lecturers and bosses, they encouraged those below them to add flowcharts to everything as well, and it spread like a virus until flowcharts were everywhere because everyone was told they needed them.

Yes, some people are visual learners, and yes, some things are kinda flow-chart-y in nature. But when you see a flowchart where a simple numbered list would suffice, it is kinda annoying. Boxes (even strangely-shaped ones) do not necessarily make everything better!

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

Last semester we were required to use a model in one project, so my group picked the one that showed a stick figure crossing a bridge. Now that is the sort of visual representation I can understand!

Also, I love your icon! Is that by any chance from "Bad Blood"? (Er, my X-Files dorkitude is showing...)

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

I can totally buy that theory. I think there are a lot of scholarly things that are mostly self-perpetuating rather than actually useful. And I shouldn't even get started on how that's not what academia should be about...

[kit-the-brave.livejournal.com]

My reaction to flow charts in my required reading is pretty much, "Yay! Half a page I can skip!"

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

Fewer pages to read is the only upside!

[mysticalchild_isis]

But "Let's go drink" is generally the best advice when it comes to flow charts.

[d4ni.livejournal.com]

I think Laura Roslin would tell you that your flow charts would be about 100 times more exciting if you just cut the corners off all the pages.

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

True... though that's unfortunately something that would impede further getting stuff done type activities.

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

Ahahahahaha! You crack me up, you know that?

But I don't want to cut the corner off my laptop screen, you know? And I'm definitely not paying for paper and ink to print it all out!

[d4ni.livejournal.com]

Why thank you, I try.

I wonder if they have laptops with the corners cut off in the world of BSG. Maybe we'll get to see in Caprica (which I'm a bit wary about).

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

When is Caprica showing on Skiffy anyway? Aren't they releasing it on DVD first or something?

Of course, if they have laptops with no corners, they better not be networked! Or else the Cylons will frak things up!!

[d4ni.livejournal.com]

Well according to Amazon the DVD will be released on April 21st. I have no idea when they're actually going to air it on television. I would think maybe fall at the earliest?

Hopefully my motto ::points to icon:: applies to family/courtroom drama (or whatever the hell Caprica is supposed to be about).

[d4ni.livejournal.com]

Okay so I just watched the preview: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=277985


And it actually looks sorta interesting. So we'll see!

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

Hopefully my motto ::points to icon:: applies to family/courtroom drama (or whatever the hell Caprica is supposed to be about).

Is Caprica technically set in space? I mean, it's set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... but does that tenet still apply if they stick planetside?

[d4ni.livejournal.com]

Well, no, I suppose it technically isn't in space. But I'm holding out hope that there will at least be some stuff in space.

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha. (I'm laughing at your icon.)

We shall see, I suppose.

On a completely unrelated note, I got my friend Sarah hooked on "Skeleton Key." More Margot converts!