Court Reporting (was Re: ANSTHRLD - Plenary Meeting at Red Ta pe)

[Chandranath]

On Mon, Mar 19, 2001 at 09:52:19PM -0600, Bordelon, Wendel wrote:
> A report that includes only the first initial of each name and which awards
> were given is better much better than nothing and will NEVER do any harm.

I have nothing but respect for you, Francois, but this doesn't seem to reflect
reality.  I _believe_ I have had to correct the recording of events that I
court heralded and that I sent a correct report for -- I put in the disclaimer
because I don't seem to have the Black Star in my possession that would
document my claim.  Sigh.  Anyway, pretending what I say is right...

This means one of two things happened:

- Transcription errors -- possible, but I'm surprised if that's the case

- Someone else's reported data was used, in which case, harm was done

My undocumented example aside, the fact is easily documented that
all sorts of preposterous stuff has made it into the OP -- not absences,
I stress, but things that are simply wrong.  All of them must have
occurred by one of the above (or by the court herald himself or herself
sending something wrong, which seems less likely than the above).

It is certainly possible that different Zodiacus holders have handled
sorting amongst multiple reports that disagree in different ways.  In my
view, any way that does not give primacy to the report sent by the court
herald is, well, wrong.  (Likely it is not obvious under the current system
which one IS sent by the court herald, in which case, this is a lack that
could almost certainly use addressing, at the very least.)

All group heralds should do their utmost to correct the contents of the
OP as pertains to their group.  No argument here.  But it would be nice
to think that the system didn't include playing "telephone" with the
awards given out.  There ought to be a better way.

(As a side note, I am somewhat unconvinced by the "mail gets lost" argument.
We don't ask for submissions to be sent through six different heralds, yet
by and large, it gets done.  It is not that hard for a court herald to
watch the Zodiacus report to check that his or her report got through, and
if not, resend it.  I certainly kept a copy of mine in case the need was
there, and also to ease filling out my monthly report...)

Chandra

-- 
Shri Chandranath, Cadet to Don Timothy
Pursuivant Extraordinaire
Captain of the Plumes of the Shire of Mooneschadowe
( mka Russ Smith - http://www.randomgang.com/ )
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