CompuServe Messages

Jim, One _small_ criticism of your advice to Craig. A while back I was taking a course in communications and it was pointed out to me that the word 'but' in English has a connotive meaning (rarely recognized consciously) of "ignore everything I've said thusfar". My observations since then (I have to carefully read every sentence with the word 'but' in it) are that my instructor was substantially correct. When attempting to offer constructive criticism, I find it better to use the conjunction 'and', as in: I think you've done a great job and could do even better if….. contrast that to: I think you've done a great job but could do better if….. When attempting to modify someones behavio(u)r, you might as well take all the advantage you can get; but you knew that <grin>, right?