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Subject:Re: References to the "Learning Curve" From:"Huber, Mike" <mrhuber -at- SOFTWARE -dot- ROCKWELL -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 5 May 1998 09:28:10 -0500
It's heresy to suggest that a cliche be avoided?
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Office:mike -dot- huber -at- software -dot- rockwell -dot- com
Home:nax -at- execpc -dot- com
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tracy Boyington [SMTP:tracy_boyington -at- OKVOTECH -dot- ORG]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 1998 8:34 AM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: Re: References to the "Learning Curve"
>
>I think "learning curve" is a phrase that, like "I could care less," has
>come to mean the exact opposite of what it really says. If you graphed
>the time it takes to gain mastery, a steeper "learning curve" would mean
>less time, and a flatter "learning curve" would mean more time. But
>people don't see this graph in their head and instead associate "steep"
>with the difficulty of climbing a steep hill. Therefore, when you use
>the phrase "steep learning curve," half of your audience will think
>"difficult" and half will think "easy." So I suggest we abolish the
>concept of the learning curve altogether. And that's my heresy for the
>day. :-)
>
