On Thu, 11 Aug 2011, B.G. Sloan wrote:
> Janet Hill noted: "...we should be very very careful about generalizing
> about 'what users actually want or need.'"
>
> Point well taken. But it does make me wonder: what DO we know about what
> users actually want or need? Isn't it in our best interests to be well
> versed in users' true wants and needs? But do we actually know? If yes,
> where is this documented? If no, why don't we know?
Surely someone somewhere has objectively studied what the public requires
to make "informed" decisions ((what they "need") and what they lack in
that regard in their general experiences, and it isn't always what they
are told they "need" in those experiences.
OTOH, what they "need" isn't always what they "want" (e.g., ideas and
data vs. entertainment), but that doesn't mean we should not spend some
resources in supplying what they say they "want."
We are, after all, beholden to the genuine taxpayers, but we have to be
careful that what we do is not labeled as frivolous or irrelevant by
politicians or threatening by publishers.
It would be really helpful to evaluate the problems that exist in the
whole society and at least supply resources to people to meet those
"needs", before trying to satisfy every individual "need" or want." But
who really cares about the whole society or tries to relate to it?
Educators, perhaps?
Cheers!
jgm
John G. Marr
Cataloger
CDS, UL
Univ. of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
jmarr_at_unm.edu
jmarr_at_flash.net
**There are only 2 kinds of thinking: "out of the box" and "outside
the box."
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sharing is permitted.
Received on Thu Aug 11 2011 - 15:05:41 EDT