Re: Hann's Law

"David Cressey" <dcressey_at_verizon.net> wrote in message news:X2n%g.7970$gZ2.5000_at_trndny07...
> I've been misspelling your name. I've been writing it as "Roy Hamm".
> Just
> a simple error, no hidden message.
>
> The reason I want to get your name right is that I want to attribute to
> you
> one of the great sayings of all time in information science. The phrase
> is
> "make of it what you will." I'm gonna call this Hann's law.
>
> It originally arose in one of the many discussions of nulls, where it's
> particularly apropos. But I find it's useful in more contexts than that.
>
> This is right up there with Spight's law: sooner or later, you are going
> to
> need a database.

While I am hugely flattered, I feel bound to admit that I was only giving expression to an idea that I know I must have read somewhere. I bet if I just reach out and pluck a few books off the shelf here I will soon find several authors pointing out the gap between understanding and representation.

But yes, it is Hann, with two N's.

Roy

PS: I have a colleague who claims to keep a record of my sayings. One of his favorites is my response to a sign in a washroom enjoining me to "Now was your hands": my dick is probably the cleanest thing in this room. (And I am sure that is almost invariably a true statement.) I have plenty more if you'd like me to share. ;-) Received on Tue Oct 24 2006 - 14:00:06 CEST