ANST - RE: Looking for the heat

Decker, Terry D. TerryD at Health.State.OK.US
Tue May 18 14:45:56 PDT 1999


> Tamlin wrote:
> 
> It is very demeaning to be judged (and perhaps found wanting) by someone 
> you later find out (once you ferret out
> the name) is your complete inferior in the field.  
> 
> Why was it demeaning?  Were they malicious and took an opportunity to
> trash 
> you?  If so, I am sorry indeed.
> 
Possibly because the judges were ignorant, incompetent, and/or inconsiderate
and chose to remain in this ignominious state.  This is not just a problem
with neophytes.  It is a much more terrible affliction when one's opinion of
one's knowledge outstrips the knowledge itself. 

> You do not have to be a 
> laurel to catch a flaw in the logic of an argument in documentation, or to
> 
> recognize poor workmanship.
> 
No, but to declare a flaw where there is none is assinine and insulting.
Consider the judge who complained about the wavy lines in a hand forged
Damascus blade or the judge who marked down a handwoven, handsewn linen
shirt because the fabric was not white enough to suit them.

> We have to learn how to judge, and for most of us, the only way to learn
> is 
> to do it.  There are ways, of course, to give yourself a hand up in this -
> 
> ask a laurel to help you, or someone else who is experienced at judging. 
>  Have you ever thought of teaching a class on the subject, or selecting 
> someone and grooming them to be a judge?
> 
All of the judging experience and knowledge will not help you if you do not
know the basics of the field being judged.  All the subject knowledge will
not help you gain the people skills to critique positively.  Let's try one
on for size.

Hold a two day A&S competition where experienced judges and  subject experts
will serve as consultants.  By entering the competition, competitors agree
to serve as judges.  As judges, they may consult the experts or each other
freely, but they must make their own evaluations.  All scoring is to be done
on Kingdom standard forms.

On the second day, award prize both for the works and the judging.  Hold
workshops on how to improve the judging.  

> The better you get at your art, the 
> fewer people there will be who are better than you, but you cannot limit 
> your judges to the ever-shrinking pool of people you consider your equal
> or 
> superior.
> 
> Talana
> 
Why not?  As you approach the apex of your field, most people are not
competing on the same plane and the opinions of judges who do not have
mastery of the subject usually have little value.  Your judges and
competitors are the same people and the prize is not winning an A&S
competiton, but the respect of your peers.  I think you may find some of
these people among the judges.

Bear


============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.



More information about the Ansteorra mailing list