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Ibis Consulting Group, Inc. is presenting an Organizational Development
Practicum on November 3 and 4 in Weston Massachusetts. Designed for HR
professionals, managers, trainers, or consultants. The overall emphasis
is finding practical solutions to difficult issues facing organizations
today. Participants will have an opportunity to bring current work
dilemmas and questions to the group for consultation. For Registration
and Tuition information, call (781) 466-8482 or email me at
nicole@ibisconsultinggroup.com

Nicole,

Sorry to be the conveyor of bad news. I went to your website and if
it is diversity your preach, then you'd better change the design real
fast because the background colors clash with the text. The site is
ineffective and would lead me to believe that your training and
consulting is equally so...




======
Date sent: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 12:47:12 -0400
Send reply to: Management Education and Development Discussion
<MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: Nicole Merrill <nicole@IBISCONSULTINGGROUP.COM>
Organization: Ibis Consulting Group
Subject: Seminar info
To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

> Ibis Consulting Group, Inc. is presenting an Organizational Development
> Practicum on November 3 and 4 in Weston Massachusetts. Designed for HR
> professionals, managers, trainers, or consultants. The overall emphasis
> is finding practical solutions to difficult issues facing organizations
> today. Participants will have an opportunity to bring current work
> dilemmas and questions to the group for consultation. For Registration
> and Tuition information, call (781) 466-8482 or email me at
> nicole@ibisconsultinggroup.com
>


David Thrope
7 Brucewood Road
Acton, MA 01720
Phone (978)264-0490
Fax (978)264-0107
e-mail bosknish@earthlink.net

On Tue, 28 Sep 1999, David Thrope wrote:
> Sorry to be the conveyor of bad news. I went to your website and if
> it is diversity your preach, then you'd better change the design real
> fast because the background colors clash with the text. The site is
> ineffective and would lead me to believe that your training and
> consulting is equally so...

David and Nicole,

Umm, I'm not sure that being guilty of poor design (on my Netscape the
brick red background makes it almost impossible to read the dark text and
resolution on the buttons is fuzzy) means that one is not diverse or does
not support diversity. What do you mean David?

I do encourage good and most importantly readable web pages (a practical
solution ;-) ).
I also liked your sample chapter for your book Workplace Diversity. The
content on a skim looks very good with a lot of food for thought. I
appreciate that the text is 12 point for my aging eyes ;-). A gentle
encouragement would be be around the formatting which is basically
"typing" rather than publishing. Perhaps this has been addressed in the
actual publication.

wishing you success in your trainings.

best regards

alice



> > Ibis Consulting Group, Inc. is presenting an Organizational Development
> > Practicum on November 3 and 4 in Weston Massachusetts. Designed for HR
> > professionals, managers, trainers, or consultants. The overall emphasis
> > is finding practical solutions to difficult issues facing organizations
> > today. Participants will have an opportunity to bring current work
> > dilemmas and questions to the group for consultation. For Registration
> > and Tuition information, call (781) 466-8482 or email me at
> > nicole@ibisconsultinggroup.com
> >
>
>
> David Thrope
> 7 Brucewood Road
> Acton, MA 01720
> Phone (978)264-0490
> Fax (978)264-0107
> e-mail bosknish@earthlink.net
>

*****************************************************************
* Alice Macpherson, TQ, ID phone: (604) 599-2426 vm 9954 *
* Kwantlen University College email: alicemac@kwantlen.bc.ca *
* 12666-72nd Ave, Surrey, BC, Canada, V3W 2M8 *
* "Life Long Learning includes Everyone, All the Time" *
*****************************************************************

Alice and everyone else,

I think that if we look at the way a message is "packaged", it can
diminish the perception of the quality of a produce. In viewing the
website, one may believe that if it is tough to read the dark text on
the red background, then maybe the attention to detail of the rest
of the company's offerings may not be there.. My comment was
made simply so that the site can improve because I believe that
what is being offered is great... If you can read it:)

> Umm, I'm not sure that being guilty of poor design (on my Netscape the
> brick red background makes it almost impossible to read the dark text and
> resolution on the buttons is fuzzy) means that one is not diverse or does
> not support diversity. What do you mean David?


David Thrope
bosknish@earthlink.net
7 Brucewood Road
Acton, MA 01720
Phone/Fax (978)264-0107
Visit our web site (best viewed using Netscape 2.0 or greater)
http://home.earthlink.net/~bosknish/dthp5.html

"...if we look at the way a message is "packaged"..."

Without wishing to offend anyone or get into a protracted debate...I think
the above said it all.

As emails don't convey the tone of voice or facial expressions, some may
consider that David's first message was slightly aggressive and critical -
though I don't doubt it was meant as sound advice.
Consequently, Alice's response was a little defensive.
David's response was spot-on and the use of smiley's got the message across.

The above is stating the obvious to most people on this list, not least
because a previous long debate covered it from all points of the compass.
However, we must still remember the value of 'Netiquette'. It is SO EASY to
cause offence without intent.

Some consider smiley's to be infantile but until we find a better way of
communicating tone and intent - it's all we've got. ;-)
Regards,
Kevin Fields
Lecturer: Tourism & Hospitality Management
Birmingham College of Food, Tourism
& Creative Studies

"Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire."
--- WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS