Re: Restraint and Mass Refusal

[Monty Neill <monty@FAIRTEST.ORG>]

Yes, that's why we paid someone who had skills of accuracy and attention
to detail, and then we looked them over (she was indeed accurate) -- tho
of course it is often hard to read what someone has written on a
petition.

BTW, that is one reason why it is important to leave plenty of room for
people to write on the petition.

And of course even if you aren't able to enter the names, save them for
later, and use the petitions as best you can.

Monty

"George N. Schmidt" wrote:
>
> In a message dated 2/1/01 5:54:19 PM, monty@FAIRTEST.ORG writes:
>
> << One problem: we have spent a lot of money to pay someone to enter the
> names. It can be done on volunteer basis, but thousands eats up huge
> amounts of time. Of course, money too is limited. >>
>
> February 2, 2001,
>
> In our experience, where there are volunteers to do this the main thing is
> ongoing supervision (quality control, collaborative activities, whatever you
> want to call it). Data entry can be done at any point where there is a
> computer, but the final compilations have to be carefully done. Otherwise you
> get those data bases we all recognize where my name is spelled (honest, it's
> happened a number of times) SCHIDT or SMITT or SCHITT.
>
> This kind of lack of professionalism tends to undermine the credibility of
> our work.
>
> So no matter how the data entry is done (volunteer or paid) or where (as long
> as it's not some data entry sweatshop in Tijuana or Juarez), the key is to
> review the data regularly.
>
> When I resumed editing Substance again in 1996, I said that I'd rather not
> produce the paper for a few months if it meant we could maintain our systems
> better once we did get started. It took a few extra weeks to get some things
> set up right, but it was worth it. (Back then, I was teaching full-time, and
> we had to be even more efficient because Paul Vallas hadn't yet come up with
> the idea of firing me and making me work here full-time while I litigated his
> perverted version of the Bill of Rights...). A simple data base mailing
> program like Bulk Mailer for the Macintosh can serve as well as something
> more elaborate but possibly dysfunctional. And there should always be disk
> and hard copy backups.
>
> Someone asked me what would happen if we didn't process our mail and Email
> here at Substance for a week. I think the answer is that we'd fall behind and
> never catch up. It's that intense. But it's also important to do it carefully
> and well.
>
> But the payoff in communications, organization, and the ability to promote
> what's best for children makes it worth it.
>
> Any time we think it's difficult to process these data in 2001, however, we
> should go back to the days when our data bases were 3 x 5 file cards, or
> those old metal label plates from the ADDRESSOGRAPH MULTIGRAPH.
>
> Last week, Danny and I were storing some archives in the Substance office
> annex. I handed up a metal box filled with hand written 3x5 cards and he
> asked what it was. I told him it was our original mailing list from 1976 to
> 1977, a "data base" from a decade before he was born. I remember how we
> discovered that the majority of Chicago substitute teachers were African
> Americans ("black" back in those days, by the way). We stacked the 3x5 cards
> on the floor by ZIP CODE. Chicago is so segregated that the stacks told the
> story. Some of the white people in Substance at the time were surprised, but
> I just told them to take one of the larger stacks and do a phone poll if they
> didn't believe me that most of the people in 60628 or 60649 were not white.
> Nobody ever took me up on the suggestion.
>
> I'm glad we've got computers to do some of these jobs now. We just need to do
> careful data entry, regular quality control, and backup. Pat Buchanan, Sandy
> Feldman and George W. Bush shouldn't be the only ones with cool data bases to
> share things with.
>
> George Schmidt
> Editor, Substance
> 5132 W. Berteau
> Chicago, IL 60641
>
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